ABSTRACT
This chapter examines mechanisms of population change in an urban area by a study of the role of institutions functioning in the private sector of its housing market. Specifically, it concentrates upon the relationship between the process of gentrification and the role of institutions in the London Borough of Islington. The evidence presented is that there has been a slow but steady growth in the owner-occupied sector of the Islington housing market and in the proportions of persons in socio-economic group. The chapter demonstrates that the changes in urban areas are not simply a reflection of choice, but also of control. Indeed, although accepting that choice and control are two opposites that exist within each other, the element of control is rarely considered and thus it was felt necessary to emphasize its function in the processes of change. If control is exercised, then the implications for land and housing market are also substantial.
