Editing Gentrification (section)

== Racial Dimensions ==

Gentrification in Philadelphia has significant racial dimensions. Many gentrifying neighborhoods were historically African American or Latino, shaped by the [[Great Migration to Philadelphia|Great Migration]] and [[Deindustrialization|deindustrialization]]. The new residents are often white, transforming the racial composition of neighborhoods within years. Point Breeze, historically a Black neighborhood, has seen rapid demographic change as white homebuyers move in. Fishtown, historically white working-class, has retained white residents while changing class composition. The pattern varies by neighborhood, but the overall trend involves whiter, wealthier populations replacing minority working-class communities.<ref name="smith"/>

Some observers frame gentrification as a form of racial displacement—the return of white residents to urban spaces that discriminatory practices and economic forces had made Black and brown. This interpretation connects current changes to the long history of racial segregation, [[Urban Renewal Era|urban renewal]] displacement, and unequal investment that shaped Philadelphia's neighborhoods. Others argue that gentrification reflects individual choices and market forces rather than racial intent. Both perspectives contain truth: gentrification is driven by economics but occurs in a context shaped by centuries of racial inequality that determines who has resources to invest and who faces displacement.<ref name="lees"/>