Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 17-5:
Suburban shop-
ping malls like
this one typify
decentral-ization.
Moving back downtown
Inrecentyears,aratherprovocativegeographictrendhasbeenoccurringthatratherfliesinthefaceof
urban sprawl and decentralization. Called
gentrification,
it's the process by which middle- and upper-
income people (who you would normally expect to see settling down in the 'burbs) buy and refurbish
central-city housing.
Causes
The causes of this are diverse, but typically include one or more of the following:
Preference for social diversity and cultural amenities, which typically are in greater supply
in the CBD as opposed to suburban settings.
Desire by people whose jobs are downtown to forgo the time and cost of commuting from
the urban fringe.
The often favorable cost differential between buying and refurbishing inner city property
versus the purchase of property with a home on it in the suburbs.
Availability of large rental spaces downtown pursuant to commercial and manufacturing
concerns that have decentralized or gone out of business.
Characteristics
Having been set in motion, gentrification may be manifested in ways that may include the following:
