Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Social change takes place in the inner city gentrifying area as more affluent people move
in.
Housing stock becomes refurbished.
The continued influx of buying power leads to competitive bidding, which drives up hous-
ing and residential rent costs.
Spending by newcomers has a spillover effect, increasing the value of commercial real es-
tate as landlords find they can command higher rents.
Consequences
Once it has firmly taken hold, gentrification may have significant consequences that include the fol-
lowing:
Rising rents cause displacement of long-term commercial and residential tenants, giving
rise to homelessness.
Low-rise buildings are bought and demolished to make way for high-rises.
“Mom and pop” stores become boutiques. The former unique commercial character of the
area becomes increasingly “placeless” as chain stores and franchises become more a part of
the local landscape.
The urban tax base expands.
The bottom line is that gentrification is a double-edged sword. It encourages homelessness and social
displacement even as it encourages revitalization of the inner city and reinvention of the old CBD.
Facing up to Environmental Issues
Just as city growth has had diverse social and economic consequences, so, too, has it given rise to a
host of environmental challenges. The following sections cover a few of the biggies.
The urban heat island
The atmosphere over a city tends to be significantly warmer than over rural areas, a phenomenon
called the
urban heat island
. While the effect may be a modest blessing during the cold of winter, it
can also amplify summer heat waves, resulting in higher rates of health emergencies and heat-related
fatalities than in non-urban areas. Here are three reasons for this phenomenon:
