PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A new report called “Displaced by Design” has mapped gentrification in neighborhoods in major cities across the country, including in areas across Philadelphia.
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s report finds that overall, gentrification across the United States over the past 50 years has been rare, impacting 15% of urban neighborhoods, but it is increasing. Bruce Mitchell, principal researcher with NCRC, says between 1980 and 2020, 10 out of 18 gentrifying neighborhoods in Philadelphia shifted from Black majorities to white or other races.
“This led to the displacement in those areas, of over 11,000 Black residents. In fact, Philadelphia is ranked number six in terms of the number of majority black neighborhoods that turned over and became a majority white or other race,” he explained.
The study shows the starting points of gentrification happened close to Center City, and then parts of West Philly, expanding outward. For example, Northern Liberties and then Fishtown showed some form of gentrification happening between 2000 and 2010 and then expanded further into Kensington by 2020.
“So if looking at Kensington, we could see parts of the home value, the median home value, increasing over time,” said NCRC data engineer Jed Edlebi. “For example, in 2000, it was less than $40,000 on the median for home value, and now it is almost $350,000.”
According to Edlebi, the cultural displacement changes the overall culture of neighborhoods.
“That really changes the profile of both the small businesses and the people who can live there and afford to live there with declining affordability,” he said. “It often drives renters out so that they can no longer live in that neighborhood and have to move further out into the urban system, sometimes to very inconvenient places.”