How common is greening in gentrifying areas?

Green gentrification occurs when urban greening/sustainability interventions become implicated in neighbourhood upgrading and displacement of existing residents. However, current emphasis on urban sustainability in planning/policy agendas, coupled with political-economic factors producing uneven development, lead us to ask whether all gentrifying areas experience greening. Our descriptive analysis identified gentrifying areas in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto (Canada), from 1996-2006 and 2006-2016, and determined the extent to which various greening interventions (parks, cycle lanes, community gardens, LEED-certified buildings, and rapid-rail transit) were introduced before, during, and after gentrification. Greening frequently occurred before and/or during, and after, gentrification. Our results indicate greening is common in gentrifying areas throughout the gentrification process, suggesting the need for a broader understanding of the relationship(s) between urban greening and gentrification. We outline a future research agenda to examine greening across gentrifying areas and further understand how these two processes shape each other in the remaking of neighborhoods/cities.

Automated summary

Green gentrification refers to the phenomenon where urban greening and sustainability measures lead to neighborhood upgrading and displacement of existing residents. A study found that green interventions frequently occur during and after gentrification in various cities in Canada. This implies the need for a broader understanding of the relationship between urban greening and gentrification.