gentrification

noun

gen·​tri·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌjen-trə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

: a process in which a poor area (as of a city) experiences an influx of middle-class or wealthy people who renovate and rebuild homes and businesses and which often results in an increase in property values and the displacement of earlier, usually poorer residents

a neighborhood undergoing gentrification

"This week, we're talking about gentrification. Middle-class people move in. Property values and rents rise. Things change and improve but not for everyone. …"

—Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Opposition is also stoked by fear of gentrification—displacement of longtime residents through higher rents or property taxes.

—Steven Litt

The construction of luxury housing and gentrification of neighborhoods is pushing families out of communities they have called home for years.

—Heidi Romanish and David Snyder

In an effort to keep gentrification from creeping in the same way into the 30th Ward … Jessica Gutierrez wants to keep a lid on property taxes and inform residents about affordable housing.

—Alexandra Arriaga

Examples of gentrification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Asian American professionals are experiencing historic prosperity and wealth, but Asian American communities are ground away by gentrification. —Frank Shyong, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024

While many say that these policies help protect working-class households from long-term displacement and neighborhoods from gentrification, critics argue such laws can also reinforce racial segregation. —Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

gentry + -ification

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above