The Fairy Tale Neighborhood of Rotterdam Gentrification and Social Identity in the Zwaanshalskwartier
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The Fairy Tale Neighborhood of Rotterdam Gentrification and social identity in the Zwaanshalskwartier Student Name: Mariëlle Peeters Student Number: 400899 Supervisor: Yosha Wijngaarden, MSc Master Media Studies - Media & Creative Industries Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication Erasmus University Rotterdam Master's Thesis June 2019 The Fairy Tale Neighborhood of Rotterdam Gentrification and social identity in the Zwaanshalskwartier ABSTRACT Gentrification seems like a perfect instrument when institutional organizations want to upgrade the neighborhood from being deprived to a middle-class playground. The essence of gentrification is to attract the middle-class to an area in order to improve the neighborhood. However, this process has many implications, and this is especially evident to the entrepreneurs in the Zwaanshalskwartier, a neighborhood in the north of Rotterdam. The Zwaanshalskwartier has been experiencing a top-down gentrification process that was started by a social housing corporation. Nevertheless, this process has had mixed successes so far; both residential gentrification and commercial gentrification are on hold, which has been affecting the established entrepreneurs. In this case, the desired target group - the middle class - rarely visits the area and is not able to live there either, which has evidently led to friction between and with the entrepreneurs, and other actors involved. These tensions influence the social identity of the entrepreneurs; it is hard to shape and create a social identity where all entrepreneurs can identify with and are satisfied with as well. These tensions also affect the placemaking process. The creation of a quality place is not possible to establish, because there is no cooperation between the entrepreneurs and involved actors. The practice of top-down gentrification is therefore not always the perfect instrument for improving a deprived neighborhood. Many actors are involved and in order to keep the process going, institutions must ensure that there is little to no imbalance between the residential gentrification and commercial gentrification. To make a top-down gentrification process successful, the institutions responsible for the process should stay involved. This research highlights that the expectation of gentrification can eventually change to an organic process. This change, if all involved in a neighborhood can continue the gentrification on their own without interference from the one responsible for the start of the practice, cannot be confirmed. KEYWORDS: gentrification, placemaking, identity, tensions, entrepreneurs 2 Preface This thesis has been a journey. I never imagined writing a thesis about my own neighborhood and getting in touch with the entrepreneurs. Before the research, I was just an anonymous resident. Walking through the streets, without knowing who else was there. Now I know their names, their stories, their successes, but also their struggles. Therefore, I would like to thank all the respondents involved in this research. I had a great time interviewing you and getting to know you better. I am happy that I now know who I am talking to when I greet you. I would also like to thank my supervisor, Yosha. I know that I have stressed a lot, had many struggles and that sometimes I was uncertain whether I was doing the research in the right way. You helped me through it and took away my uncertainty. I am thankful for the patience and not getting frustrated with me when I e-mailed you again about the research. Nick, you had a hard time with me during this research (and actually this whole academic year). Every free minute I had, I spent on my thesis. But you supported me, understood me, and helped me when I was feeling down. Every time you told me that I was almost there and that I had to push through it. Thank you for being my rock. And last, I would like to say something to my parents. Words cannot describe how thankful I am for you. You gave me a great amount of space to work on the research. You listened to my frustrations, my enthusiasm, and my stories. You were there when I was stuck and helped me through it. You gave me the feeling that I was able to climb a mountain and told me numerous times how proud you are of me. Lieve pap en mam, dank jullie wel voor alles. 3 Table of contents ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 2 Preface ....................................................................................................................................... 3 Table of contents ....................................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 6 2. Theoretical Framework .................................................................................................... 10 2.1. Urban planning and priority areas ............................................................................. 10 2.2. Gentrification ............................................................................................................. 11 2.2.1. Residential gentrification ................................................................................... 11 2.2.2. Commercial gentrification .................................................................................. 14 2.3. Placemaking ............................................................................................................... 16 2.3.1. Strategic placemaking ........................................................................................ 17 2.3.2. Creative placemaking ......................................................................................... 18 2.3.3. Tactical placemaking .......................................................................................... 19 2.4. Identity ....................................................................................................................... 19 2.4.1. Entrepreneurial identity ..................................................................................... 21 2.4.2. Identity work ...................................................................................................... 22 2.5. Tensions ..................................................................................................................... 23 2.5.1. Displacement ...................................................................................................... 24 2.5.1.1. Indirect economic displacement ................................................................. 24 2.5.1.2. Community displacement ........................................................................... 24 2.5.1.3. Neighborhood resource displacement ....................................................... 25 3. Research design ................................................................................................................ 27 3.1. Choice of method ...................................................................................................... 27 3.2. Data collection ........................................................................................................... 28 3.3. Operationalization ..................................................................................................... 32 3.4. Data analysis .............................................................................................................. 35 3.5. Validity and reliability ................................................................................................ 37 4. Findings ............................................................................................................................. 38 4.1. Local developments and the ‘picture’ ....................................................................... 38 4.1.1. Hodgepodge neighborhood ............................................................................... 38 4.1.2. Synergy among entrepreneurs ........................................................................... 44 4 4.2. Challenges .................................................................................................................. 45 4.2.1. Tensions .............................................................................................................. 45 4.2.1.1. Tensions between the entrepreneurs ........................................................ 45 4.2.1.2. Tensions between the entrepreneurs and Havensteder ............................ 50 4.2.1.3. Tensions between the entrepreneurs and the area ................................... 53 4.3. Entrepreneurial identity and social image ................................................................ 54 4.3.1. Who are we? ...................................................................................................... 55 4.3.2. What do we want? ............................................................................................. 57 4.3.3. What about them? ............................................................................................. 62 5. Conclusion......................................................................................................................... 64 5.1 Limitations and future research ..................................................................................... 66 References...............................................................................................................................