Mixing without displacing: a normative framework for government-led gentrification
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2025-07-01
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en
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Recently, gentrification has become a topic of debate within Urban Political Theory. This paper this paper deals with a specific form of gentrification, namely government-led gentrification. In practicing government-led gentrification, governments actively initiate the influx of wealthier residents into poorer neighborhoods, henceforth creating a social mix, in hopes of reducing social problems associated with a concentration of poverty (like drug abuse, unemployment and crime). This form of gentrification is often met with criticism, particularly because it often leads to the displacement of original residents, sometimes deliberately used as a strategy to create the desired social mix. This paper, however, proposes government-led gentrification as a viable solution to combat decay in severely disinvested neighborhoods, arguing that the government’s previous neglect creates an obligation to invest in their renewal. Based on a rejection of three forms of displacement - namely direct, indirect and social - proposals are made for a government-initiated gentrification process to benefit the residents of disinvested neighborhoods. Ultimately, a framework is formed that aims at ensuring the prevention of all forms of displacement, using five conditions. In short, these entail rejecting direct displacement as a means of social mixing, implementing safeguards against indirect displacement caused by rising costs and segregation, and establishing programs that foster and sustain strong social cohesion.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen