What is Climate Gentrification?

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1 What are the main causes of climate gentrification?

2 Why does climate gentrifcation matter?

Climate gentrification is the process where wealthier populations move to areas less exposed to the impacts of climate change. These regions were previously occupied by lower-income residents, often communities of minority and colour.

This differs from the virgin form of gentrification where poor urban areas have been transformed by wealthier people moving in, improving house, attracting new businesses and often displacing the current inhabitants. When I think of gentrification, I think of neighbourhoods such as Brixton or Stoke Newington in London which have been altered significantly by the rise in population of young professionals working in the city.

The term climate gentrification was coined by Harvard University researchers in 2018, who studied how elevation in districts in Miami were affecting property values due to sea level rise and flooding. They found that the value of higher elevation property rose whilst lower elevation property declined. This was the conclusion following evaluation of over 800,000 property sales including property value, building size, year built, bed and bath counts, and tax-assessment values. Miami has served as a powerful lens to study climate gentrification, studies on cities such as Pheonix as well as regions in Mexico offer further insights.

Ref: Harvard University, 2018
Climate gentrification: from theory to empiricism in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Keenan, Hill & Gumbar

What are the main causes of climate gentrification?

There are three main causes of climate gentrification:

1. The attraction to higher ground.

People are moving in land to avoid threats that come with coastal properties and rising costs of housing insurance to protect against floods.

2. Evacuation from extreme weather.

Climate displacement is frequently occurring as a result of fires, floods and extreme weather events. If unabated, the climate crisis could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050.

3. Green but equitable investments

Sustainable and green architecture is critical for climate resilience. However, large scale green regenerative property investment can skyrocket the prices of rent, which will displace those unable to pay.

Why does climate gentrifcation matter?

Acknowledging the challenges that climate gentrification can bring is important to address the global inequalities that will be exacerbated by the effects of the change in climate.

As we know, the climate emergency will mean that often, temperatures in cities will be unbearable. Paired with rising sea levels and the increased prevalence of forest fires, many habits are going to become unsafe.

C40 estimates that over 800 million people will become at risk from the impacts of rising sea levels by 2050. This isn’t a future problem, it’s happening now. Indonesia is moving its capital to the island of Kalimantan, in part due to the fact that the land in Jakarta could by 2050 be 95% submerged in water according to the latest models.

What’s more the consequences of business and building as usual could cost the global economy at least $9.87 trillion in GDP by 2050 unless urgent action is taken to protect ecosystem services.

The rich can afford to move to safer land, but what about the poor? What does climate change mean for social justice?

What are the solutions?

In a bid to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11 – sustainable cities, we have witnessed the rise of green architecture. Many of these expensive green building projects must be paired with the correct policies to prevent the negative impact of climate gentrification that leaves the vulnerable unable to afford housing in safe neighbourhoods.

Examples like the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Organisation can lead the way for responsible buildings and the implementation of socio-economic support initiatives. From 2013 – 2019, the 100 Resilient Cities Organisation helped cities build resilience to the physical, social, and economic challenges in a myriad of ways. This included actions to appoint chief resilience officers, implement sustainability strategies, offering solutions, and provide access to networks. The foundation gave $160 million to the effort in order to build urban resilience.

Radical collaboration of a cities stakeholders as well as national and devolved government legislation for the below can work to alleviate any shortfalls. This includes;