Gentrification and impoverishment in the metropolis · Issue Paper #07 · Metropolis Observatory

Date of publication
Author
Josep Maria Pascual Esteve
Topic
Citizen engagement
Social resilience
Urban renewal / rehabilitation
Housing
Type of resources
Issue Papers
An urban regeneration plan could become a double-edged sword if it is poorly developed and applied. On the one hand, we have the rebuilding of urban areas in decay. On the other hand, due to the attraction of investors and speculators alike, these regeneration plans could expel previous citizens that live there due to the increase of housing prices and quality of life, moving them to suburbs with less access to services provided by a metropolis.

It’s important for cities to develop plans that take these issues into consideration. Studying the impacts of redevelopment programs in critical urban areas, making a budget to pay for a social and inclusive rental housing price or encouraging shared social ownership of properties with cooperatives and third sector organisations are well applied measures to address displacement.

As the flow of persons and capital towards cities keeps growing, metropolises develop not one, but multiple urban groups that shape megaregions, representing high percentages of population and economic activity of countries. As these regions develop, policymakers have to ensure the creation and distribution of new city centres to avoid the concentration of resources.

The Issue Paper 7, written by Josep Maria Pascual Esteve, details a wide variety of problems and solutions to apply well-developed rebuilding plans of metropolitan areas, in which the coordination with local citizens is essential to not displace them from their homes and governance.
Gentrification
EN1.18 MB
ES1.2 MB
FR1.2 MB