Furman Center Report and Forum Explore Gentrification

This month, the Furman Center, part of NYU Wagner and the School of Law, released its State of New York City's Housing and Neighborhoods in 2015 report. The report includes a "Focus on Gentrification” (PDF) that explores gentrification within the context of New York City's neighborhoods. Of the city's 55 neighborhoods, the report classifies 15 as "gentrifying," or initially low-income neighborhoods that have seen above-median rent appreciation. It also analyzes how their housing and population have changed over the past two decades. The report finds that they have seen greater growth in the shares of the population that are young adults, college-educated, white, and living alone or with roommates, as compared to other neighborhoods.​ 

The widely cited annual report was introduced and discussed at a symposium (video) hosted by the Community Development Studies & Education Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis,

Ingrid Gould Ellen, Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at NYU Wagner, is the Furman Center's faculty director. She introduced the symposium keynote speaker, NYU Wagner Professor Katherine O'Regan, who is currently on leave as an NYU Wagner faculty member and serves as Assistant Secretary of Policy Development and Research U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Assistant Secretary O'Regan discussed neighborhood demographic, rent, and affordability trends, using research by the Furman Center. The forum also featured views from practitioners on best practices for inclusive neighborhoods and equitable development.