Throughout the country, cities are undergoing urban renewal. Gentrification in a nutshell is the acquiring of deteriorating urban neighborhoods, renovating them to attract wealthier residents and essentially displacing the lower income inhabitants who can no longer afford to live there.

Proponents of gentrification cite lower crime rates, increased community involvement and overall improvement of the standard of living in the intown neighborhoods.

A great example of this would be Auburn Avenue in the heart of bustling downtown Atlanta. This historic avenue was once dubbed "The Richest Negro Street in the World." Martin Luther King's Ebenezer Baptist Church, the second largest black-owned insurance company - Atlanta Life Insurance Company, and the first black-owned daily newspaper - the Atlanta Daily World, all decorated the avenue. After desegregation, many wealthy blacks moved out of the area, black businesses relocated and the area fell victim to crime and poverty.

Fast-forward to 2007, six-figure condos and 'pioneering' yuppies (young urban professionals - often white) are starting to claim the valuable land. The area is starting to look better than it has in decades. Mixed-use developments are sprouting, promising to make to make Auburn Avenue a cultural destination.

What happens if like in Harlem and Chicago, the area is bought up by developers. Now, small homes become bungalows and cultural landmarks become lofts. Longtime residents can no longer afford to live there, and the culture and history are diluted for profit.

Two years ago when I moved into the area wanting to be an urban pioneer, reclaiming our neglected treasure, I had to avoid addicts and dealers just to walk to the corner. Now, BMWs abound and joggers are no longer a rare sight. I'm wondering if a Starbucks will soon replace one of the halls Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once strategized in. - adam jones

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