Gentrification in New York City

The process of gentrification is composed of the physical improvements, demographic transformation, and socio-economic tensions and conflicts created within a community as new residents of higher income and education levels enter and settle in large numbers. Identifying key sub-borough areas where the process of gentrification has been particularly evident, the Capstone team attempted to discern the effects of gentrification on rent within the communities and displacement of long term low-income residents. The findings demonstrate that gentrified communities do experience a significant increase in rent, while the effects on displacement are less clear. While in the short term, gentrified communities appear to experience less displacement than the median numbers for sub-boroughs citywide, it is the Capstone team’s contention that secondary displacement has occurred in these neighborhoods as a component of the transformation brought on by gentrification.