The Complex Link Between Gentrification and Displacement:

Gentrification has been viewed by some as a mean to revitalize devalued inner cities by the in-migration of more affluent households than currently occupies the area. However, others are wary of the potential for gentrification to displace poor residents. Research on this problem could guide policymakers. This thesis examines whether gentrification is correlated with displacement and whether this has led to a change in the proportion of poor households opposed to the proportion of more affluent households in New York City between 1998 and 2013. A quantitative analysis indicates that gentrification and displacement are correlated on city level, and that displacement may be used as an indicator of the intensifying class polarisation in New York City. This thesis concludes with a section on the implications of these findings for further research.