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The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council

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The application of public services to social problems, their causes, their solutions and their human impacts in Prospect Heights.

Intersection | Prospect Heights report highlights community reaction to neighborhood gentrification

Posted: February 27, 2017 - 1:47pm

How has gentrification affected the way community members feel about Prospect Heights, and what do they want for the neighborhood's future?

To answer these questions, Intersection | Prospect Heights collected oral histories and survey responses from over 500 current and former residents of Prospect Heights. The results are discussed in a new paper, "We're All Part of the Neighborhood," available for download from the Intersection | Prospect Heights web site.

The report describes how a surge in development since 2000 coincided with a sharp increase in housing cost. In the process, a large segment of Prospect Heights' population was displaced as more affluent residents moved in. While residents' perceptions of public education and security from crime have improved, the sense of community that many cherish may be threatened.