Stop Worrying About Gentrification

A recent article in Slate makes some very important points about gentrification.  First, the kind of gentrification where rich white people push out poor black families is "exceedingly rare."  And, second, when neighborhood change does occur, it's often good for people of color.  The rub:

The socio-economic status of most neighborhoods is strikingly stable over time. When the ethnic compositions of low-income black neighborhoods do change, it’s typically because Latinos and other immigrants move into a neighborhood—and such in-migration is probably more beneficial than harmful. As for displacement—the most objectionable feature of gentrification—there’s actually very little evidence it happens. In fact, so-called gentrifying neighborhoods appear to experience less displacement than nongentrifying neighborhoods.