Dr.

Andrej Holm
Humboldt-University Berlin

Wir Bleiben Alle!

Gentrification as New Urban Mainstream
Structures and Conflicts of Urban
Redevelopment in Berlin
 What is Gentrification?

London, 1964

Larger Victorian houses, downgraded in an earlier or recent period--which

were used as lodging houses or were otherwise in multiple occupation--have
been upgraded once again. () Once this process of gentrification starts in a
district it goes on rapidly until all or most of the original working-class occupiers
are displaced and the whole social character of the district is changed.
(Glass 1964)
 What is Gentrification?

Gentrification is...

Physical upgrading of housing stock

Economically increase of value

Displacement and new composition of social structure

Forced by political and administrative decisions

Cultural re-evaluation of neighbourhood

... a multidimensional process

 Gentrification und Stadtpolitik
The Concept of gentrification is politically contested

Precisely because the language of gentrification tells the truth

about the class shift involved in the regeneration of the city, it has
become a dirty word to developers, politicians and financiers.
(Neil Smith 2002)
 Gentrification and Displacement

concluding all this economic strategies of valorisation

and political programs of upgrading, which based on a
displacement of current user as precondition of its success

Displacement is the core and not a unintended by-effect of

gentrification (Marcuse 1990).
 Displacement

Different types of displacement

(following Peter Marcuse)

Physical Displacement (directly forced by the owner)

Economic displacement (rising rents)

Cultural displacement pressure (effects of alienation)

Exclusionary displacement
 Fragestellungen
Model of Gentrification-Process

+++ pioneer gentrification +++ Investment +++ displacement +++ succession ++

 Explaining Gentrifcation
Why, where und when did gentrification occurs?

Sociological Explanations
(changing working conditions, new lifestyles, demography)

Economical Explanations
(Second cycles of capital, rent-rap-theory)

(Urban) Political Explanations

(forcing and slowing instruments of regulation)
 Modification
Gentrification as Urban Mainstream

Expanding Demands
(ongoing trend to flexibilisation of work, shift to knowledge based
economies)

Rising Pressure of Investment

(financial market activities, investment in to concret-gold,
financialisation of real estate economy)

Policies of Gentrification
(contest between cities, entrepreneurial city orientation, revanchist
urban policies)
 Modification
Gentrification as Urban Mainstream
Mutations and Modification
Agents / Actors
students gentrification (Smith 2005, Leeds)
touristification (Gotham 2005, New Orleans)
family gentrification (Karstens 2001, Amsterdam)

Spatial focus
new build gentrification (Davidson/Lees 2003)
rural gentrification (Dutton 2005, UK)
brownfield gentrification (Cameron 2003, UK)

Modes of Investment

super gentrification (Butler/Lees 2006, USA/UK)

rental gentrification (Van Crieckingen 2010, Brussels)
 Modifications
Gentrification as Urban Mainstream

(Re)Definition of Gentrification

1. Reinvestment of capital

2. Social upgrading by influx

3. Changing urban landscapes

4. Direct or indirect displacement

(Mark Davidson / Loretta Lees 2005: 1170)

 Gentrification in Berlin
Geography and Progress of Gentrification
 Gentrification in Berlin
Prenzlauer Berg 1993-2008

1. Reinvestment of Capital growing

Change
Share
80 % ofchanging
landscapes
of
academics
80 % ownership
of tenants
twice
of consumption
up to 60%
for LOHAS (Lifestyle on Health and
2. Social Upgrading Closing
75 % income
Local (high
of level)
Housing
index modernisation,
market
raised from
for poor
70 to
Sustainability)
people
140
30 %% transformed
of Berlins average
from rental
3. Changing Landscapes Openingunits
of private financed schools
into condos
Rising
High rate
cultural
of self-employments
dissonance (40%)
4. Displacement NIMBY-Campaigns
 Gentrification in Berlin
Mitte / Prenzauer Berg since 2005

1. Reinvestment of Capital Enclaves

Highly
Professional
exclusive
of the
50 % condos Managerial
atbetter
access
new offClass
constructions
(PMC) from Culture, Economy,
2. Social Upgrading Reducing
27 Luxury
social Estates
distinctive
the (1.200
relative WE)
architecture
share of
Politics
affordable housing
Average price: 3.700 Euro/qm
3. Changing Landscapes semi-gated
Internationalcommunities
Elites (EU/USA)
Upgrading of housing value and
4. Displacement windfall gains
 Gentrification in Berlin
Kreuzberg since 2005

1. Reinvestment of Capital Small

Housing-Supply
Higher
Changing
scale
income
ownership
spatial
households
as polarisation
socially
/ rising
moving
closed
inhouse
shop(20 %)
prices
2. Social Upgrading Concentration of club culture
Rising
Concentration
Single
locations of international
LuxuryofEstate
costs housingProjects
(40%)
3. Changing Landscapes investors
Housing
Touristification
provision
High rents in new (83%)
contracts
4. Displacement
 Gentrification in Berlin
Nord-Neuklln seit 2005

1. Reinvestment of Capital Opening

Closing
Rising
Changing
influx
market
new
ownership
ofsub-cultural
students
for new(2009:
contracts
and
locations
young
16%)
academics
(80 new location)
2. Social Upgrading Economical
Decreasingdisplacement
number of emptyby
flats (from
Rising
New 10%
share
modernisation
brand tocreative
asof aless than 5%)
hypermobile
place
3. Changing Landscapes creative classfor new contracts
Rising rents
Protest against administrative
4. Displacement renewal-programs
 Gentrification in Berlin
One Trend Many Faces

sub cultural enclaves by symbolic gentrification

political initiated gentrification (urban renewal zones)

new-build-projects with effects on surrounding areas

mobility-chain-displacement
 Gentrification in Berlin
Gentrification as Urban Mainstream
 Challanges
for Gentrification-Research

spatial aspects
economic dimension
social effects

New Metropolitan
Commodification
Urban Enclavismof
Mainstream
Urbanity
Embedding
Analysis
Integrationof of
highly
analysis
fragmented
of capitalization
neighborhood-research strategies
ofintoofa
ground-rents
appropriation, with
using
city-wide perspective dynamics
and creation
of the of space
international financial market
Stronger sensibility on class, gender, milieu-
Analysis
Analyzing
specific ofUrban-Value-Coalitions
circular
social costsmodes of Gentrification
of gentrification
(travelling of hotspot, displacement by
Understanding
Integration of the
conflicts
new modes
mobility, re-gentrification inofsocial
stillofgentrified
economy
and cultural
into
contested
gentrification-research
areas) neighborhoods
Dr. Andrej Holm, Humboldt University Berlin

a.holm@sowi.hu-berlin.de

www.gentrificationblog.de