Battersea Power Station LONDON

GENTRIFICATION: BATTERSEA | LONDON

The Battersea Case

Urban Photography: Capturing the Story of Reurbanization and Gentrification.

Reurbanization refers to the repopulation of previously abandoned areas, often driven by government efforts to combat inner-city decline caused by issues such as pollution, overcrowding, and poor housing.

Gentrification refers to the influx of wealthy individuals into an urban district, leading to rising rents, increased property values, and shifts in the area’s cultural identity. This process is often viewed as negative, resulting in the displacement of low-income communities by wealthy newcomers.

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GENTRIFICATION: THE CHANGE YOU MAY NOT SEE | LONDON

Aboveground

An analysis of the urban fabric begins with a single element – the train. Through a series of photographs, the train provides a glimpse into the surrounding landscape, in this case, the London metropolis. The photographs reveal a divided city, characterized by a complex, tangled, layered, and communicative process of urban transformation.

Despite its familiarity, Londoners often move from one level to another without noticing the bundling of multiple cities into one. The light rail isolates travelers from the city below, and the buildings themselves serve as a wall, creating a strong and stratified separation in strips of incoherent urbanization.

Unstoppable gentrification processes seem to go unnoticed in the city. Photographic seriality provides a unique perspective, allowing us to see changes over time. The repetition of certain elements serves to break the norm and invite the observer to focus on what is changing.

Joele Schiavone