Gentrification — The Rise of the Two Johns and The Demise of Cafe Blend

Does Gentrification Have To Spell The End of Local Businesses?

“Gentrification is a shift in an urban community toward wealthier residents and/or businesses and increasing property values” (Thank you Wikipedia).

The recent closure of Cafe Blend in Birmingham, due to a tripling of the business rates it will have to pay, has been caused by a combination of the gentrification of John Bright Street and the upcoming redevelopment of the Mailbox and the arrival of John Lewis. Population Migration is a common impact of gentrification but I am wondering if this always has to be the case.

In modern social economies, especially where decidedly responsible businesses like John Lewis are involved, there must be a development pathway available where the increased income and footfall of an area can be harnessed to support and develop the independent and smaller businesses which were already present. A diverse community is hugely beneficial to an area, and is often the target of many goverment and council backed plans, so why are richer businesses able to take over an area (gentrify it) without having to be accountable for also sustaining a diverse community in that area?

The rise of John Bright St and John Lewis, and the gentrification of the area, has led to the demise of Cafe Blend. I don’t believe this should have been the case, nor do I believe it had to be the case. To help prevent the further closers of independents of Birmingham I am interested in learning of examples where the positives of gentrification have been harnessed, the negatives mitigated and a broader social economy and diverse community created as a result.