So, the arrival of portolets may be strongly correlated with construction crews that clear away trees and lay foundations. But, you know, it doesn't cause them

So, the arrival of portolets may be strongly correlated with construction crews that clear away trees and lay foundations. But, you know, it doesn't cause them. The causality works the other way. I have lived in southeast Austin, Texas, for 20 years now. It is currently in the early stages of gentrification. The arrival of better food options is driven by things like, are the people who live here willing to pay more for fresh food, organic food, or non-chain food? If they are not, then you get different food options than if they are. It doesn't mean the food options (food trucks and farmers markets, in this case) were driving the change. The change is driven by the fact that the other areas in town are already gentrified, and this is the last one left that's this close to town. Blaming the people trying to run a small business or make money as an urban farmer, is comically ill-informed.