The Influence of Public Works on Gentrification

Richard Florida shares insights into a comprehensive review of gentrification research out of the University of California Berkeley and UCLA, published by the Federal Reserve of San Francisco, which "helps us better understand the real underlying drivers of gentrification."

Adding a new layer to the usual narrative about the people at the center of gentrification, the study also finds that "large-scale government policies and public investments" also drive the process of gentrification.

As Florida describes, "[t]he largest, most important, and most obvious example is transit—subways, light-rail, buses, and other forms of urban mass transit—which the study dubs 'transit-induced gentrification.'" After reviewing "a large body of research on the effect of rail transit on property values, the San Francisco Fed study does find evidence of a small to modest premium for properties located near rail stations," according to Florida.

Florida goes on to describe the other examples of public works that contribute to the effects of gentrification, including schools, parks, and large-scale redevelopment projects, while tying these themes back to previous studies and real world examples.