Hyde Park/Uptown Neighborhood Tours

All throughout the lands of Hyde Park and Uptown 

Did the ACM Students stir

For they had a big task upon them...

Yes, last week was the final week to prepare for our large core course assignment. Each neighborhood (Hyde Park and Uptown) had to work together to gather assets and put together a tour of our respective neighborhood. Individually we were responsible to go into our neighbors and find 3 businesses or institutions that were beneficial to the community. ACM described the assignment as "asset mapping". After we had located the businesses or institutions that were assets to our neighborhood. We were required to have an interview with someone from the location. After we had completed the asset mapping we came together to chose a route to present to the class.

This is were the team work came into play. Each neighborhood had a 2 hours for the tour and 75$ for food.

Even though it was a long day... it was an interesting assignment and experience. The two neighborhoods, Uptown and Hyde Park, contrast in comparison. On the North side Uptown is a densely populated community with an immediate hustle and bustle feel. While on the South side, Hyde Park has a more relaxed feel to it. Both neighborhoods are diverse and are going through conflicts of fighting gentrification in their community.

So I open up the discussion to you. Do you see gentrification as a positive or a negative to a community?