Pace of gentrification must be balanced
<p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="complain">complain</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="improved">improved</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="standards">standards</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="until">until</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="goes">goes</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="one">one</span> <span word="tends">tends</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="hypothetical">hypothetical</span> <span word="terms">terms</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1980<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="dreamed">dreamed</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="metropolis">metropolis</span> <span word="adorned">adorned</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="air">air</span>-<span word="conditioned">conditioned</span> <span word="shopping">shopping</span> <span word="malls">malls</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="grand">grand</span> <span word="hotels">hotels</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="grander">grander</span> <span word="lobbies">lobbies</span>. <span word="Whenever">Whenever</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="walked">walked</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="residential">residential</span> <span word="district">district</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="street">street</span> <span word="peddlers">peddlers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="littered">littered</span> <span word="sidewalks">sidewalks</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="myself">myself</span>: <span word="Someday">Someday</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="immaculate">immaculate</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="arriving">arriving</span> <span word="faster">faster</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="imagined">imagined</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="pace">pace</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="gentrification">gentrification</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="happening">happening</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="fast">fast</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nation">nation</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="megacities">megacities</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="pinched">pinched</span>, <span word="rather">rather</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="delighted">delighted</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="Certainly">Certainly</span>, <span word="our">our</span> <span word="cities">cities</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="photogenic">photogenic</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decade">decade</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="paying">paying</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="improvement">improvement</span>?</p><p><span word="Merely">Merely</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="surrounded">surrounded</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="countless">countless</span> <span word="restaurants">restaurants</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="summer">summer</span>, <span word="students">students</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nearby">nearby</span> <span word="university">university</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="drinking">drinking</span> <span word="beer">beer</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sidewalk">sidewalk</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="community">community</span> <span word="oozing">oozing</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="vitality">vitality</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="colleague">colleague</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="restaurants">restaurants</span>; <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dishes">dishes</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="priced">priced</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 9 <span word="yuan">yuan</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="after">after</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="changes">changes</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ownership">ownership</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="nonstop">nonstop</span> <span word="renovations">renovations</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="interior">interior</span>, <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="tripled">tripled</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="food">food</span> <span word="looks">looks</span> <span word="nicer">nicer</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="delicious">delicious</span>. <span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="exaggeration">exaggeration</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="improvement">improvement</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="gone">gone</span> <span word="mainly">mainly</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="facade">facade</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="affordable">affordable</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="dining">dining</span> <span word="out">out</span>. <span word="Where">Where</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="live">live</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="average">average</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="restaurant">restaurant</span> <span word="dish">dish</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="around">around</span> 50 <span word="yuan">yuan</span>, <span word="double">double</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pre">pre</span>-<span word="Olympic">Olympic</span> <span word="level">level</span>. <span word="Sure">Sure</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="choose">choose</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="in">in</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="shop">shop</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="groceries">groceries</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="neighborhood">neighborhood</span> <span word="supermarket">supermarket</span>, <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rude">rude</span> <span word="awakening">awakening</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="thing">thing</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="sure">sure</span>: <span word="whoever">whoever</span> <span word="keeps">keeps</span> <span word="track">track</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="CPI">CPI</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="here">here</span>.</p>
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