Can Gentle Gentrification Create 'Shared Neighbourhoods'?

Is revitalization without displacement possible? Although it's a harder and longer process than unmitigated gentrification, Brent Toderian argues that "positive and responsible change" can coexist with the maintenance of existing communities.

1 minute read

May 23, 2013, 2:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"Can you have revitalization, reinvestment, renewal without some level of gentrification?" asks Toderian. "Probably not, as any perceived improvement in the eyes of the marketplace changes the economics. I do though, continue to believe that in planning for community change, there are reasonable levels of gentrification, that gentrification can be strategically managed, and that we can have 'revitalization without displacement.'"

"It's hard to have a conversation about this though, with all the baggage around the word gentrification," he laments. Instead, Toderian suggests using the term "shared neighbourhoods" to signify an approach that emphasizes "adding more diverse population and uses into neighborhoods without displacement of those most vulnerable."

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 in HuffPost British Columbia

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