Case Study

Once the theories of mobility justice and social capital, and their theoretical link was established, I was interested in understanding how it worked in the real world. As a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, I was aware of the transportation system in Philadelphia which includes buses, subways, trains, and trolleys. I was mainly interested in studying public transportation as it presents a vital but often flawed form of mobility. Philadelphia is also one of the country’s oldest cities meaning it has a multitude of histories, cultures, and organizations all of which affect social capital. In my case study, I specifically studied two neighborhoods in North Philadelphia: Strawberry Mansion (SM) and Kensington. I knew that the city was too big to look at all its neighborhoods and that by focusing on two neighborhoods I could get more detailed results about if there was a relationship between mobility justice and social capital. I chose strawberry mansion and Kensington as my neighborhoods of study because they represent larger trends in Philadelphia, both historically and currently. Throughout the twentieth century, these neighborhoods saw the effects of deindustrialization, suburbanization, and changing racial populations. Today they are struggling with changes due to gentrification and the opioid crisis. They also both are neighborhoods with sites of public transportation and social capital, meaning that data on both variables can be collected. To do this I collected qualitative data from websites, archives, blogs, and census records to understand the history, population, and mobility, and social capital makeup of these neighborhoods.
Strawberry Mansion is a neighborhood in North Philadelphia located near a large city park called Fairmount Park. Due to suburbanization in the fifties and sixties, Strawberry Mansion changed from a mostly middle-class Jewish neighborhood to a lower-income, Black population which continues to be the case today. In terms of mobility, large percentages of the population depend on public transportation for commuting to and from work. Strawberry Mansion is served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or Septa, which provides public transportation to the entire Philadelphia region. Using Septa’s website, I was able to determine what transportation runs in the area and with what frequency. In terms of buses 8 routes run through the neighborhood: the 3, 7, 32, 39, 48, 49, 54, and 61 buses (Septa n.d.). The 7, 39, and 54 buses run every 60 minutes, while the 61, 49, 32 buses run every 30 minutes (Septa n.d.). The 3 and 48 bus run every 15 minutes (Septa n.d.). While there are multiple bus lines, only two out of the eight run at a high-frequency rate of 15 minutes (Septa n.d.). All the other buses require a wait of 30 to 60 minutes (Septa n.d.). This gives riders low flexibility in terms of timing if unexpected problems occur. In terms of social capital, SM has a strong history and current culture of art. From the jazz musician John Coltrane who lived in the neighborhood in the 1950s, to an art group that is working to bring historical and cultural awareness to the neighborhood. These groups help build social capital by growing a sense of community, bonding, and investment. Additionally, SM has a Community Development Corporation (CDC) which helps residents with organizing finances, buying houses, and offering grocery vouchers among other services. This CDC helps to build social capital by providing residents with financial empowerment which increases their access to other social capital and builds ties with other residents.

Kensington, the other neighborhood of study, was historically an important site of industry in the city producing textiles, tools, and other goods. In the 1980s when industrialization caused many factories to move overseas, Kensington was left without a source of income and many abandoned factories and houses. The neighborhood changed from a majority white, middle-income neighborhood to a lower-income neighborhood with most of its residents being Black or Latino. Currently, Kensington is also suffering as the epicenter of Philadelphia’s opioid crisis, which has a large effect on the environment of the neighborhood, as well as mobility and social capital. In terms of mobility, Kensington residents on public transportation are slightly lower, but still high levels in terms of commuting to work. The main form of public transport is the elevated train, or the el, which runs on a track above one of the main streets in the neighborhood. The social capital situation in Kensington is slightly different than in Strawberry Mansion. Due to the opioid epidemic, many people in the neighborhood are struggling with substance abuse disorders and experiencing homelessness. This affects social capital in two main ways: it has caused Kensington residents to feel frustrated and uninvested in the neighborhood. It has also caused sites of social capital to be built around substance abuse rehabilitation. Two rehabilitation houses, Last Stop and First Stop offer a sense of community, stability, and hope for people struggling with substance abuse. This makes these sites important for both social capital and combating the opioid crisis.

So now that mobility and social capital in this case study have been established, the question becomes how are they connected? The answer is found by considering the larger systems and environments they both exist in. If mobility justice is the ability for a person or community to control over how, when and where they move, then part of that justice is having the ability not to move. Unfortunately, this is the case for residents in both Strawberry Mansion and Kensington as the neighborhoods are gentrifying and they can no longer afford the rent or property taxes to live there. Gentrification is commonly thought of as the result of higher-class individuals moving into lower class neighborhoods. However, while individuals do play a role in gentrification, the bigger players are real estate companies that buy land in neighborhoods while it is still inexpensive and then slowly start to develop and raise living prices as individuals of classes begin to move in. Without these companies and corporations gentrification could not take place on the scale that it does. The rising cost of living in these neighborhoods is a risk to mobility justice and social capital. In Strawberry Mansion residents being forced to move could damage the various arts organizations and movements that create social capital in the neighborhood. Gentrification also poses a threat to the rehabilitation houses in Kensington, one of which has already had to move due to increased property taxes. If these houses are forced to shut down, then the neighborhood would not only lose a source of social capital but also an important tool for people dealing with substance abuse disorder. However social capital can also be a tool for combating gentrification and mobility injustice. In SM, the bonds residents have built through social capital have helped them feel more invested in their neighborhood and could help them fight gentrification. In Kensington, the recovery houses help people find sobriety could also help ease tensions with residents and businesses owners who are frustrated by the opioid epidemic. However, without a sense of community, residents may find it harder to fight against gentrification in the neighborhood.