When 'Gentrification is Good'

Looking a little closer at a city not called New York, San Francisco, or Boston, one writer argues that gentrification is often a good thing.

1 minute read

January 16, 2015, 10:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Bucktown and Wicker Park, Chicago

Jeffrey Zeldman / Flickr

Pete Saunders follows up a series produced in December by Chicago's public radio station WBEZ that documents gentrification in the city of Chicago. Although Saunders notes many useful qualities found in the series, he also writes, "that it failed to stray very far from the conventional gentrification narratives that, quite honestly, don't fit Chicago all that well." 

According to Saunders, "the problem is that the gentrification narrative was established in the cities that experienced the first wave of urban revitalization -- New York, San Francisco, Boston.  Too many people have adopted the emotions and mindsets that emerged as those cities went through their revitalization challenges, without considering how unique their own cities' conditions are."

After listing those typical narratives, Saunders goes on to argue, by paraphrasing Gordon Gekko: "gentrification, for lack of a better word, is good." To support that claim, Saunders cites distinctions, sometimes subtle, between immigrant and poor neighborhoods in Chicago, and also raises the question of why black neighborhoods are less likely to gentrify.

If you're looking for more of the recent discussion on the subject of gentrification, John Buntin wrote an article for Slate called "The Myth of Gentrification" that argues for the inadequacy of the term, even making a similar point as Saunders about black neighborhoods along the way.

Friday, January 9, 2015 in The Corner Side Yard

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

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today