First-Year Seminar: The Hood is Not for Sale! Gentrification and the Politics of Development

This course delves into the multifaceted dynamics of gentrification, exploring its historical roots, and its far-reaching implications for cities and communities from the 1960s to today. This class conceives gentrification as a complex process that is distinctly different from redevelopment. It changes the makeup of neighborhoods and fuels political and policy conflicts while exacerbating inequality and destabilizing the tenure of longstanding communities. Throughout the course, we will examine the interplay between urban development, social change, and political power, while exploring the challenges and strategies for combating the negative impacts of gentrification.