http://livingonthenet.com/wordpress/councilman-coston-and-dan-debate-the-role-of-income-distribution-on-revitatilization What would an Economist recommend for Trenton? Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:23:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://livingonthenet.com/wordpress/councilman-coston-and-dan-debate-the-role-of-income-distribution-on-revitatilization/comment-page-1#comment-728 David Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:27:41 +0000 http://livingonthenet.com/wordpress/?p=42#comment-728 As often is the case, Dan, you're right on the money. A community gets the retail it "deserves" based on purchasing power. That explains the chicken-and-egg problem: in predominantly poor communities, or those like downtown Trenton with only a lunch crowd and no significant residential population with any money, crap retail scares off those with money to spend who might choose to come and live. Some marginal communities try investing in "destination retail" strategies, but in the end they don't work without at least some people with some money who choose to LIVE nearby. Trenton is so far from having to worry about gentrification pressures on its poorest populations that its emphasis should be on "economic integration," whatever that takes (investments in public education, public safety, community beautification, whatever). Developers have done their share in Trenton in recent years; now city policy needs to hold up its end. LWYW is a very good start from the state's end. What will the city government do to contribute to economic integration? I'm not holding my breath. The decades-long tradition in Trenton municipal government, across several administrations, faces entirely in the wrong direction. As often is the case, Dan, you’re right on the money. A community gets the retail it “deserves” based on purchasing power. That explains the chicken-and-egg problem: in predominantly poor communities, or those like downtown Trenton with only a lunch crowd and no significant residential population with any money, crap retail scares off those with money to spend who might choose to come and live. Some marginal communities try investing in “destination retail” strategies, but in the end they don’t work without at least some people with some money who choose to LIVE nearby. Trenton is so far from having to worry about gentrification pressures on its poorest populations that its emphasis should be on “economic integration,” whatever that takes (investments in public education, public safety, community beautification, whatever). Developers have done their share in Trenton in recent years; now city policy needs to hold up its end. LWYW is a very good start from the state’s end. What will the city government do to contribute to economic integration? I’m not holding my breath. The decades-long tradition in Trenton municipal government, across several administrations, faces entirely in the wrong direction.

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