As more people seek urban living, communities around the country are trying to meet the demand. That even goes for fictional places like South Park, which skewers gentrification this season with a new neighborhood called “SoDoSoPa”:

In last week’s episode, the town decides to redevelop the poor part of town into a trendy arts and restaurant district called “SoDoSoPa” in order to attract a Whole Foods. This fake ad for the community, complete with shots of sleek lofts, fancy restaurants, and bearded hipsters, could pass for lots of places in our region.

The episode also looks at how revitalization projects impact the people who already live there. South Park’s mayor reassures Kenny’s blue-collar family that she’ll listen to their worries about the development. Instead, SoDoSoPa uses Kenny’s blue-collar family as a marketing tool, advertising its proximity to “historic Kenny’s house.” Kenny’s little sister asks her dad why they can’t go outside to enjoy the cleaned-up neighborhood, and he replies that they can’t afford to.

The video inspired a lengthy thread on Reddit’s South Park board asking commenters to name their city’s “SoDoSoPa” neighborhood. Naturally, one commenter suggested NoMa for the DC area, in addition to other redeveloping areas, including downtown Silver Spring, Bethesda Row, and Tysons Corner.

What depictions of urban issues on TV have you enjoyed recently?

Dan Reed (they/them) is Greater Greater Washington’s regional policy director, focused on housing and land use policy in Maryland and Northern Virginia. For a decade prior, Dan was a transportation planner working with communities all over North America to make their streets safer, enjoyable, and equitable. Their writing has appeared in publications including Washingtonian, CityLab, and Shelterforce, as well as Just Up The Pike, a neighborhood blog founded in 2006. Dan lives in Silver Spring with Drizzy, the goodest boy ever.