We seem to have a penchant for gentrification scholarship here at Indoor Voices. It shouldn’t be that surprising, since we are a large public university in a vast metropolis, and CUNY boasts a wealth of accomplished urban studies scholars. In previous episodes we’ve heard from Richard Ocejo, Sharon Zukin, and David Puglia about the urban economy, identity and cultural shifts and schisms in New York and in Baltimore. Ed Snadr and Shonna Trinch, John Jay College faculty and authors of What the Signs Say: Language, Gentrification, and Place-Making in Brooklyn, our guests from the summer of 2020, visit us again in this episode to talk with two more colleagues about the topic, adding Asbury Park, New Jersey to the list of places that have undergone significant change in recent years. Ed and Shonna’s guests are Mary Gatta and Molly Vollman Makris, faculty members at Guttman Community College and authors of the new book, Gentrification Down the Shore, published by Rutgers University Press. See their recent Progressive column addressing actions that can be taken to alleviate the struggles faced by places like Asbury Park.
For those interested in continuing to explore Brooklyn, there is an upcoming free two-part event “What the Signs Say” offered by the Brooklyn Public Library’s Center for Brooklyn History. Ed and Shonna will talk about streetscapes, race, making place, aesthetics, nostalgia and activism with other Brooklyn and urban studies experts on February 23 and March 25. More info and registration can be found here.
Listen to Episode 53 now! (Transcript available, but unedited!)
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