The timeline of Development, Gentrification, and Displacement of the Westwood Neighborhood.

Voiceover

Presenter(s)

Juan Franco

Abstract or Description

The Westwood neighborhood of Denver, Colorado, is one rich in culture and history. Largely ignored by the city of Denver after its annexation in 1946, recent attention to its potential for development has driven up housing costs, displaced low-income individuals of color, and attracted housing development and investment. Many of Westwood’s low-income Hispanic/Latinx residents are caught in the middle of a gentrification debate, as external economic interest and existing resident needs are weighed by the city and the community. In this study, I reviewed of media, archival research, Census demographic data, and information from non-profit groups in order to develop a timeline of the history of Westwood related to development and gentrification. An existing dataset of interviews with diverse community residents and stakeholders (e.g. monolingual Spanish speakers, undocumented residents, renters and homeowners, community leaders, etc.) was also reviewed to highlight the diverse feelings residents hold about the neighborhood’s current stage of development. As development is frequently documented through the lens of economic growth, this timeline provides a balanced story including the perspective of residents who are at risk of displacement and shows the cyclical nature of housing booms and busts. Understanding the interactions between low-income residents and non-residents with economic interests is important to understand so that displacement is not swept under the rug when discussing economic development. Without attention to the cultural and historical context of neighborhoods at risk of gentrification and the needs of existing residents, neighborhoods like Westwood are oversimplified as “under resourced,” “poor” communities to be flipped into new and young communities.