Neighborhood Attributes as Predictors of Gentrification

This study seeks to ascertain whether the various physical attributes that are part of the urban neighborhood package can help to explain the existenceof gentrification in a neighborhood. Attributes such as, architecture of the housing stock, proximity to certain center city amenities, and demographic characteristics of neighborhoods will be examined to see if they aid in the understanding of where gentrification will occur in a given city. Those groups of people who are assumed to play a significant role in this urban phenomenen will be studied so as to understand their tastes and preferences as they apply to the location and design of urban housing. From the knowledge gained from the characteristics inherent in those people who are considered gentrifiers it will be possible to isolate various physical factors which are important in explaining and predicting the occurrence of gentrification in a given neighborhood. Architectural, locational, and racial composition of urban neighborhoods in Columbus, Ohio are used to explain gentrification patterns in the city. The results indicate that architectural features play a significant role in explaining gentrification in Columbus. Locational features also play a role, however, due _to the parameters assigned to them their influence was weaker than expected