That's why we dedicated this series to examining some of the consequences that gentrification poses for local leaders for years to come: the escalation in housing costs that has made in-town living unaffordable for all but the affluent; the rise in suburban poverty caused by the arrival of minorities and immigrants who used to be concentrated in central cities; and the creation of affluent urban communities in which traditional families are largely absent. We also explore the difficulty of attracting retail to urban core areas, and the question of whether cities can make environmental improvements to neighborhoods without ultimately displacing the people who live there.
What follows is stories that have appeared both on the web and in the print magazine exploring this issue as well as interactive maps and data tracking gentrification.
Read Governing's national report examining gentrification in the 50 largest cities.
Gentrification Maps and Data for U.S. Cities
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What, Exactly, Is Gentrification?
It’s hard to define, but it's dramatically changing the urban landscape and bringing a host of new challenges to local leaders. Read more.sanfranciscogoogleshuttlenewcombemar14.jpg
Gentrification's Not So Black and White After All
Despite complaints about well-educated white people buying up houses in low-income minority neighborhoods, recent studies show that gentrification often helps the original residents. Read more.01-columbia-heights-067b.jpg
How D.C.'s Affordable Housing Protections Are Losing a War with Economics
In the fastest-gentrifying neighborhood in the country, some of the nation's strongest affordable housing protections haven’t been enough to keep lower-income residents from being priced out of their homes. Read more.1412-columbia-heights-081s.jpg
The Downsides of a Neighborhood 'Turnaround'
A former D.C. housing official gives a hard look at what worked, and what didn't, in an award-winning redevelopment project. Read more.01-austin-opening.jpg
Suburbs Struggle to Aid the Sprawling Poor
Poverty in suburbs now outnumbers poverty in cities, a shift that’s put a major strain on public services and is easily visible in Austin, Texas. Read more.parking-lot-empty.jpg
Some Cities Are Spurring the End of Sprawl
A new report claims there's an historic shift in suburbs from being car-dependent to walkable places, blurring the lines between "urban" and "suburban." Read more.01-seattle-065.jpg
Do Cities Need Kids?
Seattle is one place trying to figure that out. Read more.playground.jpg
Keeping Cities from Becoming “Child-Free Zones”
With kids on the decline in urban areas, cities can make themselves more attractive to young families by building more playgrounds. Read more.cleveland1.jpg
The Neighborhood Has Gentrified, But Where’s the Grocery Store?
In many gentrifying neighborhoods, attracting new residents and restaurants is the easy part. Finding the right mix of retail is much harder. Read more.cincinnati.jpg
From Vacant to Vibrant: Cincinnati’s Urban Transformation
How a lot of money and a little luck brought one of the nation’s most dangerous neighborhoods back to life. Read more.green-enough.jpg
Just Green Enough
Sprucing up a park can spur unintended gentrification. Is there a way to green a neighborhood without displacing its residents? Read more.kidbikerepairbaltimorewogan.jpg
