Gentrification

Grassroots Activists Take On Evictions, Displacement
On the ground, combating gentrification means putting a stop to cost-driven displacement and evictions. Grassroots organizations in some of the hardest-hit cities have dedicated themselves to that task.

Urban Farming Gains a Foothold in Houston
Operated by a pair of brothers, Finca Tres Robles is one of several Houston farms coaxing fresh produce from unused urban land. Increasingly, urban farmers compete with developers for space.

The Trouble with Legalizing Illegal Units
The recent example of a dramatic rent increase in San Francisco may be less about loopholes in current housing laws and more about failing to consider all the implications of rushed legislation.

Architectural Renderings Depict Only the 'Wired and Young'
John King shares his thoughts on modern renderings. In too many drawings a hipster cult of youth is normalized, and it threatens to paint regular folks and true nonconformists out of the picture.

Affluence Still at Home in the Suburbs
Commentators often say an influx of wealth is transforming American cities. But if prosperity is really still suburban, what are the consequences for the environment?

A Response to the Loss of Black Communities in Portland
A five-minute video funded by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation tells the story of black communities struggling to preserve their traditions in what's been called the whitest city in the United States.
'Gentrification' Redux: Wealth, Opportunity, Community
Ben Brown wades into the wealth/income inequity morass to make a pitch for getting beyond "gentrification" squabbles and on to wealth-building strategies for the bottom 90 percent.

American Dream for Sale: $1,000 for an Empty Lot in Newark
In a bid for revenue and rejuvenation, Newark is selling vacant lots for $1,000. Buyers promise to build a home and stay for at least five years.
Los Angeles' Plan to Minimize Displacement During Urban Revitalization
Bloomberg Philanthropies will fund an "Innovation Delivery Team" in Los Angeles to approach the challenge of revitalizing urban neighborhoods while also creating improvements for existing populations.

Too Much Obsessing over Gentrification?
The recent glut of luxury development, gentrification, and high rents has been frequently condemned. But what factors affecting affordability might that discussion miss?

Documenting D.C.'s Demographic Shift
Data from Washington D.C. shows how the demographics of eastern neighborhoods have shifted heavily toward childless singles over the past decade.

The Changing Shape of American Cities
A newly released report shows the demographic transformation of American cities spatially from 1990 to 2012 by charting their neighborhoods based on distance to the center of the city.

Op-Ed: Don't Excuse Displacement when Rationalizing Gentrification
A recent article in Washington City Paper pushes back on the notion that the ill effects of gentrification are overblown. Resurgent cities must, according to the article, find ways to achieve the benefits of gentrification—without the displacement.

Portland Tops Gentrification Study
Research published by Governing Magazine finds that Portland, Oregon is the U.S. city with the highest degree of gentrification in this century.

What Are North America's Most 'Youthified' Cities?
Gentrification has famously, and controversially, changed the face of many neighborhoods. Less well known is the process that geographer Markus Moos calls "youthification," in which neighborhoods don't become richer so much as they become younger.
Residents Disillusioned with the Planning Process in Los Angeles' Chinatown
Sharon McNary reports on a proposed development in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles that predates, and could thus avoid, the guidelines put forward by one of the most progressive plans in the city—the Cornfield Arroyo Specific Plan.
Mayor de Blasio Stresses Affordable Housing in State of the City Address
In his State of the City Address on Feb. 3, the New York City mayor made it clear that his overriding priority is affordable housing. He targeted six neighborhoods in all five boroughs where development will be required to include affordable housing.

More Sensationalism About Gentrification
Governing's recent study of gentrification systematically exaggerates gentrification in a variety of ways.

How Cities Can Help Retail Catch Up with Residential
Scott Beyer details the old real estate wisdom of "retail follows rooftops," especially as evidenced by cities like Cleveland in recent years.
The Evolution of Austin—Found on Sixth Street
A Dallas Morning News column illustrates the evolution of Austin by exploring the changes in the neighborhoods along the city's famous Sixth Street corridor.
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