New forms of gentrification: issues and debates

Abstract

This special issue addresses the questions of gentrification and new‐build gentrification, two processes of urban transformation that significantly contribute to the reconfiguration of the socio‐demographic profile of populations in contemporary cities. Whereas gentrification has long referred to the physical and social transformation of central areas through rehabilitation of existing housing stock and population displacement by more affluent households, the concept has recently been extended to include new high‐status developments (regeneration of brownfield sites or demolition/reconstruction of existing residential areas). Although these new developments do not always cause direct population displacement, the question of the possible indirect consequences has been critically raised while the densification of the built environment appears as a favourable outcome in a context of environmental sustainability concerns. The papers collected in this issue focus on the emerging debates surrounding the new forms of gentrification, the increased residential attractiveness of core cities, and the actors who are involved or affected by these processes. In so doing it discusses the geography of gentrification, expanding analysis towards a wide range of contexts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Housing, the Compact City and Sustainable Development: Some Insights From Recent Urban Trends in Switzerland

“…From a social point of view, the surveys conducted in Neuchâtel and Zurich West show that the socio-economic status of residents living in new dwellings is clearly above average, indicating that densification projects have tended to lead to newbuild gentrification processes (Davidson & Lees, 2005Rérat et al, 2010a). In contrast, people with low qualifications are barely present in the new housing units.…”

A transformação da zona ribeirinha oriental de Lisboa: um caso de gentrificação por nova construção

“…Passa assim a abranger uma pluralidade de formas, de espaços, de protagonistas (Rérat, Soderstrom & Piguet, 2010). Já na sua obra The new urban frontier, Neil Smith (1996) fazia uma leitura alargada do conceito, recusando que se continuasse a tratar de uma "extravagância quixotesca": "Gentrification (…) has become the leading residential edge of a much greater endeavour: the class remake of the central urban landscape" (p. 39).…”

Transformaciones urbanas en el contexto neoliberal. La colonia Condesa en Ciudad de México: un proceso de gentrificación

“…Existe unanimidad, en que fue la socióloga británica Ruth Glass, quien en 1964 utilizó por primera vez este término (ver Zukin, 1987;Smith, 1996;Van Weesep, 1994;García, 2001;Slater, 2006;Less, Slater y Wyly, 2008;Herzer, 2008;Rérat, Söderström y Piguet, 2010 Lees, et al, 2008:4;Smith, 1996:33).…”

“…A dicho proceso se le conoce como new-buil gentrification (Boddy, 2007 La gentrificación no sólo se produce en áreas urbanas, sino también se puede producir en zonas rurales. La rural gentrification ha sido un tema muy trabajado en los últimos años, no sólo en el mundo anglosajón (Phillips, 2004(Phillips, y 2010Solana, 2010;Rérat, Söderström y Piguet, 2010), sino además, ya se empiezan a producir trabajos sobre regiones como Cataluña, España (Cánoves y Blanco, 2006), Estado de México (Hoyos y Sánchez, 2007) y Manizales, Colombia (Nates, 2008).…”