Gentrification

Uptown Oakland

What Is a 'Great' Neighborhood? An Analysis of APA's Top-Rated Places

A study recently published in the Journal of the American Planning Association finds that the APA's definition of "great neighborhoods" might be leaving low-income and minority populations behind.

August 27, 2015 - Emily Talen

Stress Test: On the Connection Between Gentrification and Helicopter Parenting

A subject sure to hit close home to many readers: the relationship between the modern concerns of parenting and expense urban living. In other words: how gentrification leads to helicopter parenting.

August 19, 2015 - Next City

Rental Construction

Escaping the Cycle of Inflated Housing Costs

In an insightful article, William Fulton unpacks the supply-demand cycle driving costs skyward in certain areas. To address the problem, new construction needs an unprecedented level of diversity.

August 18, 2015 - California Planning & Development Report

Gentrification Concerns Raised Around 'The 606' Trail in Chicago

When an exciting and popular addition to the public realm becomes available, like it did in Chicago earlier this year with The 606 trail, concerns about gentrification and displacement are sure to follow.

August 13, 2015 - Chicago Tribune

Upper Manhattan's Disappearing Bodegas

Rising rents and competition with chains are taking their toll on Manhattan bodegas, a mainstay for hispanic neighborhoods for their fresh and ethnic foods. As their numbers decline, chain stores increase, and Walk Scores drop.

August 5, 2015 - The New York Times N.Y. / Region

Gentrification

Calculator Answers the Question: Are You a Gentrifier?

Let the debate ensue about the accuracy (not to mention the appropriateness) of the "Gentrifier Calculator" exercise.

August 5, 2015 - Slate

Washington DC Chinatown

Residents Forced Out of Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown

Can a neighborhood still call itself Chinatown when everyone living there is wealthy and white? Beset by rapid gentrification, longtime residents of D.C.'s Chinatown fight to keep their homes.

August 3, 2015 - The Washington Post

Brooklyn

Friday Funny: Hipster Havens in All 50 States

Everyone has heard about Silver Lake, the Mission, and, of course, Brooklyn. But what about East Village, NuLu, Fondren, and Haymarket? Hipsters are everywhere! These are the top hipster neighborhoods—the Brooklyns, if you will—in all 50 states

July 31, 2015 - Thrillist

Detroit Skyline

Most Downtowns Still Lagging Behind

Central districts have been surging back since the 1980s. But in most cities, the upper third of earners still favor outlying areas and are underrepresented closer to downtown.

July 30, 2015 - City Observatory City Commentary

Yuppies Out

Op-Ed: Newer Model Density Falls Short of its Promise

The general principle is simple: more density equals lower prices and less environmental impact. But suburbia's imprint is deep, both on cities themselves and on how we expect to inhabit them.

July 27, 2015 - Grist

A Case Study of Displacement in Suburban Marietta, Georgia

An article in City Observatory's City Commentary sheds light on an underreported fact of life in some parts of the country: suburban displacement.

July 16, 2015 - City Commentary

Boston innovation district banner with lofts

Status Report: the Rise of Innovation Districts

Last year, the "innovation district" rose to prominence as a way to describe urban knowledge economy epicenters. This report from Bruce Katz and Brookings describes how the phenomenon continues to evolve.

July 12, 2015 - Brookings

Brooklyn

Op-Ed on the Tedium of Seeking the 'Next Brooklyn'

Aspiring-to-be-hip cities across the county tout themselves as the "next Brooklyn." Ben Adler argues not only the Brooklyn is a lousy model for revitalization but also that hipster-led gentrification does not lead to overall prosperity.

July 2, 2015 - Grist

SF Cable Cars

A New Take on the Gentrification of San Francisco

The latest installment of a series titled "Field Notes from Gentrified Places," written by Vinson Cunningham, focuses on the city of San Francisco.

June 30, 2015 - McSweeney's

London's Transformation, Described in Brutal Terms

The familiar tales of expensive living in U.S. cities like San Francisco, New York, and Vancouver gain a little perspective when compared to London. Or maybe London just provides a crystal ball to the future of those cities and others like them.

June 30, 2015 - The Observer

Philadelphia Rowhouse

Philadelphia's Rowhouse Remedy for Gentrification

Blessed with an innate resilience, Philadelphia's brick rowhouses risk disrepair and redevelopment. Local nonprofits are looking for ways to keep this resource equitable.

June 24, 2015 - Next City

trax light rail train in foreground, snow-covered mountains in background

Affordable Housing Follows Good Transit

More raw housing stock is only the first step. Without comprehensive transit, the value of density can't extend beyond the city center.

June 22, 2015 - Grist

How NIMBYism Contributes to San Francisco's Housing Shortage

A pattern of opposition to housing projects that leads to the underdevelopment of land has contributed to a housing shortage in San Francisco, writes planning consultant Jim Chappell.

June 18, 2015 - UrbDeZine

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems: Community Edition

Do we ever reach a point as a community wherein our problems are behind us? Sorry, but no. If anything, it gets more complicated.

June 15, 2015 - PlaceShakers

Elysian Valley Home

Residents Want a Say as Los Angeles Neighborhood Changes

The big market forces of Los Angeles long ignored Elysian Valley, colloquially called Frogtown. But now the neighborhood has hip cachet and residents are organizing to have a say as the area changes.

June 15, 2015 - Los Angeles Review of Books

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.