Gentrification Reader

Gentrification remains a subject of heated debate in the public realm as well as scholarly and policy circles. This Reader brings together the classic writings and contemporary literature that has helped to define the field, changed the direction of how it is studied and illustrated the points of conflict and consensus that are distinctive of gentrification research. Covering everything from the theories of gentrification through to analysis of state-led policies and community resistance to those polices, this is an unparalleled collection of influential writings on a contentious contemporary issue. With insightful commentary from the editors, who are themselves internationally renowned experts in the field, this is essential reading for students of urban planning, geography, urban studies, sociology and housing studies.

Review:

"Concise and clear without eschewing important nuances, these well-crafted syntheses will be valuable to instructors preparing classes as well as the graduate student audiences who are likely to be the main consumers of this tome." - Damaris Rose, Centre Urbanisation Culture Societe Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Montreal, PQ, Canada

"What a marvelous, comprehensive treatment of this evolving, now mainstream, urban process, correctly characterized as neo-colonialism. Provides an international perspective and highlights the key role of the state." - Chester Hartman, Director of Research, Poverty & Race Research Action Council, Washington, DC, USA

"The editors have performed a valuable service in bringing together key texts on what is probably the most critical phenomenon in cities around the world today. If you teach upper-level urban geography or urban studies, this is the reader for which you've been waiting! By making these sometimes fugitive texts available under one cover, the editors have saved us a lot of time and increased the likelihood that students will actually read the material!" - Briavel Holcomb, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, USA

'"Gentrification" is shorthand for a process of restructuring cities that has major implications for their future and the welfare of their residents. It has, for that very reason, become a highly controversial subject, slippery and subject to discordant interpretations and responses. This excellent book gets to the heart of the problem, presenting orthodoxies and critiques, empirical and theoretical approaches, and cases from widely differing contexts, providing raw meat for real debates.' - Peter Marcuse, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University, USA