in the chart below you find evidence of the most gentrified cities in the United States on the basis of rent prices. San Francisco and Boston (where annual conferences of american geographers will be held in the coming two years, contributing to the hotel industry and the like) are 1st and 3rd respectively.http://www.rooflines.org/4311/gentrification_is_more_widespread_than_we_think/?utm_source=Nov+24th+Weekly+Gentrification+Is+More+Widespread+Than+You+Think&utm_campaign=November+24+2015+Weekly&utm_medium=email2015-11-03 14:20 GMT+01:00 Ugo Rossi <[log in to unmask]>:Thanks for your responses, especially that of Caroline which is much appreciated.At the same time let me clarify my position. My issue with organizing a large scale conference in super - gentrified cities like San Francisco (or Boston) is not just practical (i.e. I don't have enough funding) but has wider implications.As a critical geographer I want to contribute to the economy of struggling places, rather than to the overheated urban economies of the 'major cities'. I can go there as a tourist or for research reasons but not for a social event like a conference.All the bestUgo
Il lunedì 2 novembre 2015, Caroline Regenhardt Keegan <[log in to unmask]> ha scritto:Hi All,
Just while we're on the subject I wanted to weigh in as a longtime resident of San Francisco and volunteer organizer with the hospitality union UNITE HERE. San Francisco hotels are over 90% unionized and I would encourage anyone considering hotel lodging in the city to choose a union hotel. There is also a list of boycotted hotels on the UNITE HERE Local 2 website. Avoiding boycotted hotels is not just good politics but ensures you won't be woken up at 6 am to bullhorns and picket lines.
Air BnB, as I'm sure everyone has heard, is a very contentious issue with the city's already over-saturated housing market, so if you're considering Air BnB I would recommend looking at listings in Oakland or Berkeley, and considering minority-owned homes. (Still not ideal but I realize everyone's on a budget). The conference is right across the tunnel so it should be a very quick BART ride from anywhere.
If anyone has specific concerns and thinks I might be of help, feel free to send an email my way.
Very interested in further discussions on this topic, though I am happy that the conference organizers have chosen to hold it at union hotels in both Chicago and San Francisco.
Best,
Caroline KeeganDear Ugo,
It is certainly a good point.
Having the conference in a small town isn’t a good alternative though.
We will save in lodging but spend more for flights since small cities usually require transfers.
Perhaps fee discount based on the location of the participants like some other academic association?
Jung Won
From: A forum for critical and radical geographers [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ugo Rossi
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2015 3:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: AAG in super-gentrified cities
hello,
I find quite unacceptable that the AAG organizes its annual conference in places like San Francisco where housing prices and more generally living costs have been skyrocketing in recent years.
It seems also that AAG’s policy is now to organize their annual conferences only in ‘major’ cities (next one will be Boston).
Who can afford to spend almost a week in that city? Not certainly academics from the global South and also from increasingly underfunded public universities in the West.
I think there should be some manifestation of dissent at the AAG regarding this issue.
All the best
Ugo
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Ugo Rossi
Università di Torino, Italy