Lance Freeman Books

Lance Freeman traces the evolving role of predominantly black neighborhoods in northern cities from the late nineteenth century through the present day. He reveals the forces that caused the ghetto's role as haven or hell to wax and wane.

Focusing on the lived experiences of long-term residents in gentrifying neighborhoods, the book explores the nuanced impacts of gentrification in Harlem and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Through in-depth interviews, Freeman reveals the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors of indigenous residents, providing a deeper understanding of their responses to neighborhood changes. He discusses the implications of his findings for urban planning and policy, suggesting strategies to mitigate negative effects and foster positive interactions between newcomers and established residents.

There Goes the 'Hood analyzes the experience of gentrification for residents of two predominantly black New York City neighbourhoods. It thereby adds an important yet often overlooked perspective to debates on gentrification -- the residents of formerly disinvested neighbourhoods themselves. Their perspectives suggest that gentrification is neither entirely threatening nor redemptive for urban neighbourhoods. Rather, it can both offer a better life and threaten long-established communities. While residents appreciate the opportunities, they resent that it often takes full-scale gentrification to make their neighbourhoods nice. The concluding chapters of the book suggest ways for limiting the negative aspects of gentrification and new ways of thinking about gentrification and the inner city.