Assignment about What is Gentrification.?

Gentrification
Gentrification, as coined by Ruth Glass 1964, is a complex term with many definitions used
to explain it without changing its meaning. Gentrification, in broad term, means the
displacement of lower and middle-class residents of a certain area by a higher class through
redevelopment. Neighborhood revitalization can also be used to explain gentrification to
mean reinvesting on metropolitan structures with the aim of improving the economy.
Gentrification mainly occurs in urban areas, especially centers where disinvestment has been
experienced in creating profitable redevelopment opportunities (Lees, Slater & Wyly, 2013).
On the verge of implementing redevelopment, the side of profitability is favored at the
expense of the residents, for which, on the other hand, are affected by stigmatization and
work instability. In understanding gentrification, there is a need to recognize the urban
structures in terms of place, scale, and locality and the crucial roles they play.
Several studies have been done to establish the root causes of gentrification, as well as the
reasons for the spread. Socio-economic and political forces have been used to explain various
approaches that try to elaborate on the roots of gentrification, which majorly lies in the
economic market and housing. Considering quality urbanism as the main effect of
gentrification, Richard Florida indicates the lack of affordable housing as the root cause of
gentrification in most cases where the wealthier people will displace the poor. According to
(Hwang, 2016, pp. 189-213), different phenomena such as demographic distribution,
sociocultural forces, community networks, political forces, and social movements can be used
to explain the reason behind the existence of gentrification and how it came to existence in
reference to economical and societal impacts. In their theory relating to demographic and
ecological causes of gentrification, they explain population distribution in relation to the
environment and technology. They attributed that the rising population in urban areas of
middle age people influenced by urban technology increases pressure on the few residential
and commercial houses. In the context of Britain cities, the imbalance between the supply and
demand for housing tend to influence the reclamation of Britain cities, for example, to meet
the rising demand for housing. High numbers of middle age are employees in the cities, and it
is no doubt that they want to live closer to their workplaces. The neighborhoods around the
working places are therefore invaded with the working class amid their relocation into the
area closer to their working place. In the event of relocation, the owners of the houses will
tend to increase the rent, and the lower class residents are forced to relocate to affordable
houses (Hwang, 2016, pp. 189-213).
Due to technological advancement in Britain, transport and communication networks are also
advancing to suit the scale. As a result of these developments in most of the cities, the role of
the neighborhood is therefore limited. Community networks can be seen as an important
aspect in every society as the role of the neighborhood is valued, but as technology advances,
their role is limited, as explained in the community lost perspective (Gibbons, Nara &
Appleyard, 2018, pp. 470-488). Large scale socio-economic organizations take the lead with
influenced by development hence displacing the small scale community with the aim of
improving the area economically. Looking at gentrification from a sociocultural perspective,
it can be seen that behavioral change in human beings is mainly contributed by the change in

their lifestyles through the influence of attitude change, values, and cultural beliefs. In
various cities in Britain, the middle and upper classes, which consist mostly of the working
class, are prone to behavior change as they progress in life hence tend to relocate in urban
areas rather than rural or suburban. As the number of people moving to urban areas increases,
the demand for housing increases. The urban pioneers, who are in most cases the lower class
people living in low standard areas are invaded and replaced by the working class, who
intends to restore the area (Yang & Zhou, 2018, pp. 120-132).
Gentrification is also influenced by political and economic forces. As urban development was
advancing, the British people realized the benefits of moving to the cities. The traditional
view of political and economic forces explains how the unavailability of housing in suburban
centers around the Britain cities contributed to British people (the whites) moving to the cities
displacing the blacks, influenced by the change in the political climate. The same can be
explained through the fact that the inner city is a source of revenue, and the powerful people
are made to move to the city to reinvest hence displacing the lower class (Lopez-Morales,
2019, pp. 1-11). The British government is involved in most cases in gentrification with the
aim of improving its cities by providing support to the developers, economic elites, and
lending institutions.
Gentrification is a dual consequence controversy open for debate; it has gains and losses to
the involved individuals, local community, economy, and government. Various scholars in
favor of gentrification have pointed it out as a powerful tool for developing cities. Simpson
and his crew on the opponent, argue that although gentrification is effected with good
motives, the outcomes are devastating to residents pushed out of development path (Brown-
Saracino, 2017, pp. 515-539). The positive effects of gentrification are reduction in criminal
cases, exposure of new ideas, increased property values, reduce strain on local infrastructure
and stabilization of declining areas among others, while the negative impacts include but not
limited to displacement, multiple stress and discomfort, and homelessness (Brummet & Reed,
2019).
In Britain, gentrification is viewed as an economic tool that aims at improving the cities
through redevelopment and revitalization even though, in some cases, displacement is
experienced as a result. Deteriorated structures depict a bad picture of a city, although they
are residential places for lower-class people. With this bad picture, the local governments
tend to restructure them through gentrification. In the event of restructuring the city,
infrastructure is, in turn, improved as mobility between the city and the surrounding suburban
is fostered; i.e., the streets are renovated, improving public transport and restructuring urban
facilities (Maiello, 2019). The public resources that are under strain from the impacts of
lower-class residents, which is often influenced by poverty, are relaxed through
gentrification. Through gentrification, affordable housing is enhanced through rehabilitating
the deteriorated houses in the inner cities, which is a good alternative for expanding the
central city (Hochstenbach, 2017, pp. 399-419). The rehabilitated areas improve political
effectiveness, which is a great opportunity to source funds from the government to facilitate
more developments in those areas, thus increasing revenue through tax provision. In most
cases, deteriorated areas in the city are prone to criminal practices since the leadership of the

area is under siege of the residents. Redeveloping the areas through gentrification will
redefine the leadership structure and reducing criminal acts in the area.
The value of the physical and social properties in the gentrified area increases as restructuring
is done. Reinvestment is also encouraged in those areas since the place has been made safe
for commercial development. The social mix of the people is enhanced as the area is
stabilized in terms of security and increased affordable housing for residential and
commercial purposes.
In most studies, gentrification has been argued as an economic tool with more positives
impacts than negatives, but it is no doubt that the negative effects are unbearable. The result
of this redevelopment leads to the displacement of the urban pioneers into suburban and rural
areas, and in rear cases, some are rendered homeless. As development in the gentrified areas
is advancing, the cost of services is raised hence unfavorable to the lower class residents. The
roles of the neighborhood are limited, reducing political participation and increase conflicts
in the community. The surrounding neighborhood will be subjected to housing pressure, and
this may lead to stress among the residents. The community will experience stigmatization as
they are made discomfort since their children are disrupted from education as well as work
instability (Pineda, 2017).

Reference List
Brown-Saracino, J., 2017. Explicating divided approaches to gentrification and growing
income inequality. Annual Review of Sociology, 43, pp.515-539.
Brummet, Q. and Reed, D., 2019. The effects of gentrification on the well-being and
opportunity of original resident adults and children.
Gibbons, J., Nara, A., and Appleyard, B., 2018. Exploring the imprint of social media
networks on the neighborhood community through the lens of gentrification. Environment
and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 45(3), pp.470-488.
Hochstenbach, C., 2017. State-led gentrification and the changing geography of market-
oriented housing policies. Housing, Theory, and Society, 34(4), pp.399-419.
Hwang, J., 2016. Pioneers of gentrification: Transformation in global neighborhoods in
Urban America in the late twentieth century. Demography, 53(1), pp.189-213.
Lees, L., Slater, T., and Wyly, E., 2013. Gentrification. Routledge.
López‐Morales, E., 2019. Gentrification. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and
Regional Studies, pp.1-11.
Maiello, M., 2019. Urban Environmental Gentrification: Evaluating the Impact Large Green
Infrastructure Projects Have On Urban Residents.
Pineda, M., 2017. The Effects of Gentrification: Inhabitants, Education, and Displacement.
Yang, Q. and Zhou, M., 2018. Interpreting gentrification in Chengdu in the post-socialist
transition of China: A sociocultural perspective. Geoforum, 93, pp.120-132.