What are rapidly changing neighborhoods?

Over the past few decades, cities and neighborhoods were increasingly the focus of large capital investments in catalytic projects; often enacted through public-private collaborations involving universities, hospitals and health facilities, sports facilities, mass transit and transit centers, business centers, and large-scale housing developments. These developments lead to "rapidly changing neighborhoods" which may also experience related changes in demographics, immigration and gentrification. In rapidly changing neighborhoods, a complex set of forces combine to generate both intended and unintended consequences. In almost every situation, a subset of low- to moderate-income residents and households, small businesses, and community organizations and institutions exist that are deeply affected by high impact development projects, new policies and population changes. Vulnerable populations, already underserved within the community, may be threatened by isolation or alienation as a result of rapid changes in the neighborhood. Some stakeholders leave the neighborhood by choice for more stable communities.

In the current economic downturn, rapidly changing neighborhoods continue to experience a number of pressures: many large scale capital projects that have already been financed are still moving ahead. Some communities that are simultaneously changing due to lack of development require added support systems and greater connections to achieve any positive potential that can be provided through HD-OD’s integrated services structure. HD-OD will also be beneficial in harnessing and tracking the effects of new capital projects initiated through the current Administration’s economic stimulus plan.