They were saddened by the loss of some of the smaller shops that will be replaced by larger retailers. In the end, the girls concluded that gentrification is a complicated issue, and its results are "not always bad and not always good." I would have to agree that gentrification is complicated and requires thorough thought and planning as neighborhood revitalization strategies are developed.
Many strategies are being developed at the local level to address the increasing need for affordable housing; these strategies include housing trust funds, private activity bonds, and community land trusts, to name just a few. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond is currently studying patterns of home price changes and gentrification in neighborhoods here in Washington, D.C.