ABSTRACT
Cities have evolved from centers of trade to places of production. Cities in the global economy strive to grow and expand by developing knowledge- and information-based industries, attracting investment capital, and cultivating a highly skilled labor force that provides them with a competitive advantage over other metropolitan areas. Cities must make planning decisions to stimulate economic development and accommodate growth sectors within a metropolitan area. In strong-market metropolitan areas, higher wage earners are choosing to live in cities, which intensify gentrification. Some examining gentrification within strong-market cities look carefully at the relationship between global investment capital and pro-growth actors, particularly government actors. In addition to the increased polarization of the labor market, there has also been a decline in middle-wage/middle-skill jobs, negatively impacting middle- and working-class urban residents. The growing income inequality between higher-skilled, higher wage earners and less-skilled, lower wage earners is shaping the spatial landscape within metropolitan areas.
