Gentrification has famously, and controversially, changed the face of many neighborhoods. Less well known is the process that geographer Markus Moos calls "youthification," in which neighborhoods don't become richer so much as they become younger.
Gentrification often means that you wake up one morning to find that your lower-income neighborhood is now crushed by high rents and awash in espresso. It can also means that longtime residents have been pushed out. In some cases, though, it's lower ages—rather than higher rents—that marks a neighborhood's transformation.
Geographer Markus Moos has described "youthified" neighborhoods as those that are "forever young," in which young people move in, stay a while, and then are replaced by successive waves of young people. This process may entail gentrification, but it does not have to. Gentrification often means that a neighborhood becomes inexorably more expensive. Youthification involves more of a cycle.
Not surprisingly, the places that experience the greatest levels of youthification are those awash in urban amenities and services. They tend to be relatively dense, too. The top-five cities with the largest shares of young adults are:
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Austin, TX
- Calgary, Alb.
- Edmonton, Alb.
- Denver, CO
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Buffalo, NY
- Rochester, NY
- Cleveland, OH
- Hartford, CT
FULL STORY: Is Your Neighborhood Changing? It Might Be Youthification, Not Gentrification
Property Tax Relief on the Table for Pittsburgh's Developing Neighborhoods
Pittsburgh is considering a gentrification and displacement prevention measure for longtime residents of rapidly changing neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Tries to Get Ahead of Gentrification with Community Land Trust
After years of decline, some Pittsburgh neighborhoods are beginning to see an uptick in popularity, so the city is seeking to protect the existence of affordable housing.
Black Residents Displaced in Pittsburgh
Rents are on the rise in Pittsburgh, prompting some longtime residents to relocate farther away. Race, as well as class, figures heavily in this narrative.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Understanding Road Diets
An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.
New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution
A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.
Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension
The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service