Gentrification: even the nice stuff is dubious
Essay-ish La Presse piece considers how beneficial urban improvements bring in a wave of gentrification, giving examples from elsewhere, such as New York’s High Line seeding more expensive dwellings in its wake.
In Montreal, bike paths and even community gardens are called into question. About the gardens I’m not so sure, because when I was doing it in the Plateau-Mile End area, a lot of the folks involved were older people, many allophones, no eco-hipsters. One of the most outstanding gardens there was tended by a couple from India who were growing vegetables unusual in this climate. But maybe this has changed too.
Update: Does anyone know what the writer means by “les jardins urbains du campus MIL”?
John B 09:23 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
At least in Verdun, the demographics of the gardeners is changing to younger, more health/eco conscious, people, often with children. And Verdun is gentrifying. But I doubt they’re linked, the garden situation hasn’t changed in years, and mostly the older crew has just gotten too old to garden.
And yeah, some of the nicest gardens are run by people who have been gardening for years or who are growing things they can’t buy at the market, not so much the younger, wealthier, group.
CE 09:55 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
Re: “les jardins urbains du campus MIL” they would be talking about some gardens that UdeM have lent to some community groups on their new campus. La Place Commune in Parc Ex have a garden there.
DavidH 11:34 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
I think that was also the name of the temporary garden/hangout venue that existed the summer before construction work began there. Was meant to have music shows, food trucks, etc. Similar vibe to the Jardins Gamelin and Pied-du-courant. Some of the same people were involved in all three projects if I recall.
Michael Black 11:49 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
Bike paths are 49 years old, community gardens at least forty if not a bit older. One colkd argue that they in part came from the counterculture, but around so long now that they are mainstream.
Yes the kids have interest in “back to the land” but it’s not that different from fifty years ago. If it wasn’t gentrification back then, can it be now?
And yes, community gardens pull in a variety of people. They like the hobby, or the results. You don’t have to grow vegetables I gather, so some just grow flowers.
What has changed is some groups are growing vegetables in other places. Santropol Roulant at McGill and on their roof. Some food group grows them at Loyola. Another at Macdonald campus. The NDG Food Depot has some places to grow vegetables for their clients. Another group in NDG is growing vegetables in public planters, for the public to pick and eat as desired.
Some of these initiatives may be trendy, but the results are aimed towards people with less money, to get them fresh vegetables.
Michael
Kate 12:30 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
Michael, community gardens may vary in their rules, but the one I was at was pretty strict. You couldn’t grow flowers, you had to not only grow vegetables but a variety of them, there were strict limits to how much of your plot could be given over to herbs and fruit, it was all laid out in the rules.
Apparently some folks had been getting a garden, putting in only strawberries or only tomatoes, going away for the summer and coming back to harvest whatever their plants produced, depending on the weather and the pests. This was felt not to be in the spirit of the thing, plus neglect leads to weeds, and one plot with lots of weeds tends to seed more weeds in everyone else’s plot. Kind of a metaphor there, maybe.
Blork 12:47 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
There’s also the question of pests. If someone isn’t taking care of cabbage worms, aphids, etc. in their plot it can mess up everyone’s harvest.
I’m not convinced it’s about saving money. Home gardening rarely is. You spend a lot of time and even money on your tiny garden and then you harvest what could be bought at the grocery store for $20 (unless you are growing exotic produce).
Potatoes and carrots are the silliest from an economic POV. How many pounds of potatoes can you grow in a community gardening plot? And then you feel like an idiot when you go to Provigo and find a ten pound bag of potatoes for $2.99.
Tomatoes can be somewhat worth it if you really value fresh tomatoes. Although you can get a bucket of really good tomatoes at the Jean-Talon Market for $6 in season, there’s something to be said about harvesting two or three a day instead of getting them all at once.
Garlic can be worth it, since fresh garlic goes for $2 a head or more at the markets. But only if you really give AF about garlic, because you can also buy shitty Chinese garlic for next to nothing at the grocery store.
Kate 14:15 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
Blork, you could grow herbs or veg that you want but can’t easily find for sale. That Indian couple I mentioned at the Mile End garden had vines producing various gourd-type things I couldn’t identify, for example. A friend has a neighbour that grows Portuguese kale all summer, and you don’t see that sold most places.
I always like growing some parsley and a few other herbs, because it’s nice to be able to step outside and cut a few leaves of this and that when you’re cooking, rather than buying a big bundle and having some of it perish before you use it.
Kevin 14:17 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
A lot of people fail at gardening because they go too big, too fast, and spent way too much. It gets overwhelming.
Potatoes and other items that take up lots of space are not that great — because potatoes are dirt cheap. It But if you keep it manageable, something you spend a couple minutes a day at, it’s a nice diversion and it looks pretty.
I’ve got a small plot (a bit more than 1 m square) with beets, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, brussels sprouts, lettuce and yes, carrots. It had kale but that was ripped out when it got too hot.
I’ve also got a planter with more cucumber and tomatoes, and several pots with herbs — which I dip into constantly — and my grape vines and apple trees.
Michael Black 14:29 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
The bit about growing flowers I may be wrong about, some bit of information I picked up somewhere.
Herbs seem easy to grow in a windowsill, though I’ve never done it. It does help that you just need a bit at a time.
You do get a sense of accomplishment from growing vegetables. And it gives you a sense of the scale of real food production.
One time when I sprouted soybeans, you still have to cook the sprouts, but not for long, I planted a few sprouts, not putting any real effort into it. But I got some plants as a result, and a few pods on each plant. When you think of how many soybeans are produced, the effort must be immense.
Same thing with making tofu. 35 years ago I made it for a few years, eventually deciding the cost of buying it was worth it. I had a big pot, but so much soymilk was needed to make even a small amount of tofu that the pot was close to overflowing, and once it started to boil, wouod overflow if I wadn’t watching carefully. Soymilk is sticky, so even just cleaning the pot and utensils took time. I have kept making seitan, which is also more fun. I hope at some point to try making tempeh, once I find a source of starter.
So yes, growing may not be econimcally useful, but sometimes the process is rewarding.
Michael
Uatu 15:24 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
Rewarding and good for stress management. Also you don’t have to worry about food recalls.
Blork 16:55 on 2019-08-05 Permalink
Kate, that’s an excellent point (growing things that are hard to find in stores). I was just questioning the assumption that the primary aim of community gardens is to help poor people save money.
…and I LOVE my fresh herb garden! Nothing like a sprig of freshly picked Thai basil to lift a gin & tonic or a Moscow Mule to another level!