The literature on gentrification has yielded a number of competing explanations of the phenomenon. These include demographic, ecological, sociocultural, and political-economic interpretations. By linking the results of a survey of the presence and significance of gentrification with data from 48 of the 51 cities in the Permanent Community Sample, we are able to assess why some cities are candidates for gentrification while others are not and to determine the relative usefulness of the competing explanations listed above. We find some support for aspects of each interpretation.
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