The Past And Future Of Gentrification

First noted in the late 1950s, 'gentrification' as a term can trace its origins back to urban sociologist Ruth Glass, who mockingly described London's new gentry class. Since then, most of the great cities have seen urban colonization, from New York to Sydney and now to Eastern Europe. But gentrification is as misunderstood as it is pervasive; the economic argument, that the housing is cheap and convenient, masks the larger implications of an emerging post-modern society.