It’s Giving Gentrification: How Business Features Impact Gentrification and Feelings of Belonging

When higher socioeconomic status (SES), often White people move into a neighborhood, a process called gentrification, a common consequence is displacement of the long-time residents, who are often lower SES and from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Another consequence may also be a decrease in belonging, with usual victims of gentrification being disproportionately affected by perceptions of gentrification. To understand the effects of gentrification, I examined what features of buildings and neighborhoods may relate to stronger perceptions of gentrification. Across two studies, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, I evaluated what building features (e.g., newness of business, type of establishment) impacted perceptions of gentrification, then how those perceptions, as well as building features and participant characteristics, affected belonging. As people try to remedy the negative impacts of gentrification on marginalized communities, it is important to better understand what gentrification looks like, and who it impacts the most.