Review: 'The Handbook of Gentrification Studies'

A book by Loretta Lees and Martin Phillips, published in 2018, is reviewed and recommended to "graduates studying anthropology of cities, urbanism, geography, and new urban identities."

1 minute read

March 28, 2019, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Gentrification

MsSaraKelly / Flickr

The Handbook of Gentrification Studies, comprises studies split into 27 chapters, aiming for comprehensiveness. Yves Laberge, from the University of Ottawa in Canada, reviews the Handbook for the Electronic Green Journal.

According to Laberge, the Handbook takes several approaches to defining and describing gentrification. Petra Doan in Chapter 10 defines gentrification as "a process in which higher income land-users replace lower income land-users and increase capital investment in the neighbourhood," for instance. Another chapter identifies three subcategories of "green gentrification": environmental gentrification, ecological gentrification, and green gentrification.

Summarizing the assessment, Laberge writes that the Handbook, "provides the richest, the most comprehensive presentation on gentrification, with its main concepts and subfields, the various disciplines referring to it, and numerous ramifications such as tourism gentrification, soft gentrification, rural gentrification, and many others."

 

Thursday, February 28, 2019 in Electronic Green Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Color-coded map of labor & delivery departments and losses in United States.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace

In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and harrowing close calls are a growing reality.

2 hours ago - Maine Morning Star

Street scene in Kathmandu, Nepal with yellow minibuses and other traffic.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs

Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

4 hours ago - Fast Company

Bike lane in Washington D.C. protected by low concrete barriers.

DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint

Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.

6 hours ago - The Washington Post