Well it depends, gentrification is one of the ways that is easy and effective turning poor crime ridden neighborhoods into essentially suburbs. On the other hands there are neighborhoods that consist of poor working class people, who aren't causing problems for anyone. Thus it is a double-edge sword. In terms of the housing projects that are populated by African-Americans, I say go for it as they have been there long enough and are not doing anything constructive or helpful. Generation after generation should not be living in the same house. For e.g. rapper 50 cent was a drug dealer who lived in his grandmother's house with 8 other aunts and uncles before he made it big, which would not have happen if he was not shot at nine times (only 3 of those bullets actually hit him, one each leg and on in his mouth). If he didn't become rich and famous, he would be dead like so many before him. His story is not unique. On the other hand there are many working class neighborhoods of Latinos, Asians as well as African-Americans who don't deserve to be shoved out.

Gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's character and culture. The term is often used negatively, suggesting the displacement of poor communities by rich outsiders. But the effects of gentrification are complex and contradictory, and its real impact varies. Many aspects of the gentrification process are desirable. Who wouldn't want to see reduced crime, new investment in buildings and infrastructure, and increased economic activity in their neighborhoods? Unfortunately, the benefits of these changes are often enjoyed disproportionately by the new arrivals, while the established residents find themselves economically and socially marginalized. Gentrification has been the cause of painful conflict in many American cities, often along racial and economic fault lines. Neighborhood change is often viewed as a miscarriage of social justice, in which wealthy, usually white, newcomers are congratulated for "improving" a neighborhood whose poor, minority residents are displaced by skyrocketing rents and economic change. For further information check the enclosed link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentrification Regards.

The suburb I live in is undergoing a lot of gentrification at the moment. Admittedly, rents have skyrocketed but there are new businesses starting every day and it has become a very desirable place to live. A lot of old 70's style apartment buildings have been razed to make way for the new businesses and homes. I fully support it as I remember this suburb from about 10 years ago and it was very ugly and dead. No-one wanted to visit let alone run a business or live here. The place now looks fantastic and the local Council have quite strict heritage laws which protects the older and very beautiful buildings.