ECON 382
Gentrification and Neighborhood Change Spring 2021
Division II Difference, Power, and Equity
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Class Details

While the phenomenon we call “gentrification” was first noted in the 1960s, these changes in urban neighborhoods have recently drawn increasing scrutiny and concern. Coming at a time of growing income inequality, the movement of higher income households into neighborhoods previously occupied by lower-income households has raised concerns about displacement, housing affordability, access to employment and other problems that may be associated with a gentrifying city. These problems may be further exacerbated by residential segregation and reduced support for public housing and transportation. This course will provide an opportunity to study these issues in depth. What, exactly, is gentrification? What do we know about the economic causes and consequences of gentrification and neighborhood change? How are these causes and consequences affected by growing income inequality and continued segregation in housing? What policy options might be pursued that could improve the well-being of existing and potential residents of the neighborhoods in US cities?
The Class: Format: tutorial; The initial meeting of the class and all meetings of tutorial pairs will be held remotely via Zoom teleconference. Students will need a computer and reliable internet connection to participate.
Limit: 10
Expected: 10
Class#: 5062
Grading: no pass/fail option, no fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: Students will meet in pairs once per week. On alternate weeks students will write a 10-12 page primary paper on an assigned topic, and on the next week write a 4-5 page comment and discussion on the primary paper. At least one of the primary papers written by each student during the course must incorporate some analysis of data on gentrification using data introduced in discussion.
Prerequisites: Economics 251 (Price and Allocation Theory), Statistics 161 or Economics 255 (Econometrics) or POEC 253 (Empirical Methods in Political Economy) or instructor permission.
Enrollment Preferences: Economics and Political Economy majors, Juniors and Seniors
Distributions: Division II Difference, Power, and Equity
DPE Notes: Gentrification has been identified in the survey of DPE suggestions as a worthwhile and important topic for a course satisfying the DPE requirement. Gentrification, with its consequent displacement of low-income and frequently minority households in cities is widely viewed as a problem and there have been increasing demands for local policies to limit the rate or extent of gentrification. We will address the causes, measurement of gentrification and extent to which it burdens poor households.

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