Different names for the same thing? A systematic review of green, environmental, eco-, ecological, climate, carbon, and resilience gentrification

A plethora of terms have emerged connecting various sustainability and climate-resilience initiatives to gentrification: green, environmental, eco-, ecological, climate, carbon and resilience gentrification. We conducted a systematic literature review of these seven terms to identify how they have been defined and applied over time. We discuss the importance of considering the nuance each term has uncovered but emphasize the need to theorize back across all seven terms to further our understanding of the current state of gentrification. Our research indicates that green, environmental, eco-, and ecological gentrification overlap significantly to describe the impact of a wide range of sustainability and resilience initiatives but differ somewhat in the drivers and discourses to which they have been defined and applied. Climate and resilience gentrification have recently been defined as subtypes of the first four terms to specifically highlight the role of climate impacts and adaptation measures, while carbon gentrification focuses on ‘grey’ initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions. We use the term ‘sustainability gentrification’ to encompass what all seven terms have in common—the role of climate
change, and use of sustainability/resilience-building responses to it, in the production of space for progressively affluent users.

Research paper

Author(s)

Jessica Quinton*
Lorien Nesbitt*

* Urban Natures Lab Team Member

Research Themes

Environmental justice
Urban planning and governance

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