ABSTRACT
The term “gentrification” first appeared in the 1960s, coined by sociologist Ruth Glass (1964), who was describing the influx of the middle class into poor London neighborhoods. Since then, the debate over its meaning and impact has only intensified. Who are the gentry, and who is benefiting from the changes? Clearly the newcomers have higher incomes than the long-term residents of the neighborhood, plus, often, equity to invest in local housing. That probably means higher levels of educational attainment, too, given that income and schooling are highly correlated. But can there be “positive” gentrification, especially in weak market places such as Detroit? When it is an
influx of middle-class African-American professionals, as in parts of Atlanta, Washington, DC, and Cleveland, is it still gentrification (Kennedy and Leonard 2001)?
