This project, How are Low-Income Ithacans Responding to Gentrification? A Mixed-Methods Project that Sheds Light on the Experiences of Marginalized Ithacans, explores how low-income Ithacans are responding to gentrification, with a particular focus on the experiences of Black Ithacans. A mixed-method approach of both quantitative data analysis and personal interviews with local residents not only helps to identify harmful housing patterns, but also highlights the challenges faced by low-income and Black Ithacans and what the community is doing to combat detrimental trends and policies.
As a Cornell student, I believe we do not reflect enough on our impact on the larger Ithaca community. It is important to consider how our privilege, such as the ability of many students to pay disproportionately high housing prices, affects the surrounding community and individuals who call Ithaca their permanent home. This project focuses on the strength and struggles of marginalized communities in an otherwise wealthy college town, bringing attention to their unique experiences in an academic setting where their voices are too often overlooked.
Resulting research paper: How are Low-Income Ithacans Responding to Gentrification? A Mixed-Methods Project that Sheds Light on the Experiences of Marginalized Ithacans
Undergraduate Researcher:
- Samantha Puzzi, College of Arts & Sciences, Government and Philosophy majors
Faculty Advisor:
- Suzanne Mettler, John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions, Department of Government