Recession No Match for Gentrification in Many Cities

Rachel Dovey details a new report that finds boom-era trends of gentrification persisted in urban areas throughout the effects of the post-2007 recession.

1 minute read

July 21, 2014, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Seattle Skyline from Kerry Park

David Herrera / Flickr

The conclusion of the report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, as summarized by Dovey: "Urban neighborhoods were hot spots for redevelopment before the economy collapsed, and some have continued to gentrify post-recession."

"Portland, Seattle, Denver, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. continue to see incomes rise in their urban core. Atlanta, where city-center wealth spiked before the recession, has not continued to gentrify. And post-boom Cincinnati is witnessing a surprising surge in city-center income," writes Dovey.

"The report points out that changes in income ranking over time were actually driven largely by poor neighborhoods that gained wealth, not wealthy neighborhoods that became even wealthier — a trend the report calls “consistent with gentrification.'"

Thursday, July 17, 2014 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive