That may be true, however the correlation is that the value of homes increased after the Starbucks arrived in the neighborhood. Of course there are other factors involved.
The point is that small businesses won't be able to thrive under the conditions of having high rent. If corporations are the only businesses that can afford it, then there's not much uniqueness to NYC businesses. It's not about wanting the city to stay the same. Transience is a natural quality of life, but it is being controlled in a way that gives corporations the upper hand.