LoginThe Metro: Why cities should focus on depopulation, not gentrification
As Detroit has been changing over the last decade, one word has come up again and again to describe the city: Gentrification.
Generally, when people think of the word, they consider people who are white and relatively well off moving into a poor, nonwhite community. At worst, it signals feelings of inequality and unfairness. At best, it’s seen as a sign of development.
But what actually is gentrification? And, what does it look like in Detroit’s neighborhoods where gentrification doesn’t lead to development?
Sharon Cornelissen is the author of “The Last House on the Block: Black Homeowners, White Homesteaders, and Failed Gentrification in Detroit.” She says that while American cities pay a lot of attention to gentrification, they should focus more on population decline and disinvestment.
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