What We’re Reading: Yes, Gentrification Is A Problem

Gentrification: The New Yorker asked Is Gentrification Really A Problem?  The article seemed to suggest no but, yes. Yes it is. The piece goes into a history of the word “ghetto” and highlights some important academic literature that suggests displacement may actually be lower in neighborhoods that are growing/gentrifying. However, it punts on the crucial issue of the future: will there continue to be equity of access to the newly created urban housing in high demand neighborhoods? It’s one thing to reduce displacement of people. It’s another to promote economic and racial integration going forward.

State Level Housing Solutions:  The Shelterforce blog Roofline covered the housing crisis in California and pushed back on supply-side housing narratives and promoted a statewide 20 percent mandatory inclusionary zoning requirement.

Hidden Sprawl: Yonah Freemark dug into demographic data to show that much of the “urban” growth of the past few decades has actually been suburban sprawl that happened within city boundaries or was annexed into them. Meanwhile, urban cores in many growing cities have languished.

Induced Demand: Dylan Reid with Spacing Toronto explores where housing, like highways, have an induced demand effect.

AirBnB: Josh Cohen wrote a piece for Next City diving into the stats for the 4,170 and counting AirBnB rentals in Seattle with special emphasis on hosts offering a multitude of units.

Police Reform: Ansel Herz asked Mayor Murray and Councilmember Tim Burgess for comment on Seattle Police Officers Guild president since deleted Facebook comments that blamed the Dallas shooting of officers on a “minority movement.”