ANTI-GENTRIFICATION FORGED IN CAPITALSIM

We believe that there are better alternatives to the capitalist and hyper-capitalist framework of our society.
However, the intriguing question remains: can we prevent gentrification in capitalist societies?
Yes, indeed.
How?
We need to develop urban strategies that are linked to collective actions and well-being through social contracts.
The "neighborhood contract in Brussels"  is an urban development strategy that is an excellent approach to achieving this.
In fact, it was born in a highly capitalist conditions and after period of time it evolved into a good basis for combating gentrification.  
We just need to give wings to this concept. 

Originally, neighborhood contracts were developed as a tool for improving the infrastructure of the city, particularly in the Brussels context. The idea was to attract the upper middle class back to Brussels. In fact, Charles Picqué, the mayor of the well-known municipality of St. Gilles in Brussels, implemented the "neighborhood council" with the intention of bringing wealthier people in.
However, since the Belgian government took strong initiatives to position Brussels as the capital of European institutions, much construction work was undertaken to compete with surrounding cities for this prestigious position. The job was done. After Brussels became the status quo capital of Europe, a different kind of elite began to move in. It was no longer important for people from the suburbs to come in. After developing the European quarters, certain parts of Brussels were inhabited by high taxpayers, but this evidently ignored other neighborhoods. This imbalance continued to tarnish the city's reputation. The need for a general improvement of the city's status was crucial. This urgency, combined with other political events, formed Brussels into a separate administrative unit that primarily had to fund itself. Since different municipalities in Brussels have varying financial capabilities, it seemed logical to improve the city's overall status and reputation through common budgets shared between municipalities and the city as a whole.

You see, an anti gentrification tool was actually forged under capitalist conditions. 

In this sense, the Neighborhood Contract emerged as a useful tool for managing this kind of budget. Today, this operation allows for participative design lasting four years, with the results later handed over to designers who will improve the space according to the city's needs. It's a long process that requires a lot of time and pushes politicians to avoid gentrification scenarios. 

The small problem is that this tool is underfunded. It receives 16 million euros per year, which is a budget that pales in comparison to regular private budgets. Simply put, that equals roughly to four 10-story blocks.

This is not an ideal concept, but we do not give it a chance to take off with serious power.