Hear, Here: Oral History, Gentrification, and Memory Politics

Abstract Hear, Here is a critical oral history project developed in two gentrifying urban neighborhoods in Canada and the United States. Recorded by our university students, residents and visitors can listen to short first-person stories on their cell phones, the location of which is marked by orange street signs with a toll-free phone number. The process of gentrification results in community groups staking claims to their version of history embodied in the built heritage and cultural landscapes under threat by neglect and demolition. Hear, Here seeks to amplify the voices of those who typically go unheard, and advocates that oral history can be used to challenge policy, preserve diversity, and reveal that gentrification is not inherent in urban change.