Metropolitics

An Unexpected Victory in the Fight to Save Philadelphia Chinatown

Andrew Lee — 2025-10-14T05:00:00Z

Grassroots efforts to counter gentrification-inducing megaprojects often fail as elected officials negotiate various interests. Using the case of 76 Place in Philadelphia, Andrew Lee examines the nuanced interplay of forces that spared Chinatown from a new arena.
“When they raze these streets, I'll no longer know which way my toes are pointed.” — Dylan Tran, “My Soul Travels Between Three Cities”
On December 19th, 2024, Philadelphia City Council voted 12–5 to approve 76 Place, a

- From the Field / Chinatown, Philadelphia, gentrification, Pennsylvania, United States, mobilization

The Fight for Community Ownership in Los Angeles Chinatown via the LA Chinatown CLT

Amy Zhou — 2025-07-08T05:00:00Z

Community land trusts are one strategy to stem displacement due to real-estate speculation in Chinatowns across North America. Yet, as Amy Zhou demonstrates through her work with the LA Chinatown Community Land Trust, these efforts must address multiple challenges to realize the potential of community ownership.
Over the past few years, the community land trust (CLT) movement has held a significant amount of attention across North America, and particularly in a number of Chinatowns, including

- From the Field / community land trusts, Chinatown, displacement, real estate, property ownership, United States, community organizing, Los Angeles

Immigrant Growth Machines: Metropolitan Reinvention in Los Angeles

Melody Chiong & Jan Lin — 2016-02-09T06:00:00Z

Building on Logan and Molotch's highly influential concept of the urban “growth machine,” Jan Lin and Melody Chiong propose the idea of the “immigrant growth machine” to describe the variegated forms of investment and development in Los Angeles. Fueled by transnational capital flows and tourism, these new conglomerations reveal the role of immigration and foreign investment in the growth of today's metropolis.
Korean and Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs, investors and political leaders are

- Essays / urban development, Los Angeles, growth machine, diaspora, Chinese diaspora, Korean Diaspora, Chinatown, Koreatown, smart growth