IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/tvecsg/v111y2020i4p634-651.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Deconstructing Dominant Narratives of Urban Failure and Gentrification in a Racially Unjust City: The Case of Detroit

Author

Listed:
  • Brian Doucet

Abstract

In Detroit, pockets of gentrification can be found amid larger processes of neighbourhood decline. Emerging gentrification is rapidly shifting the city’s dominant narrative from one of urban failure, to a comeback city. Both these interpretations, however, are problematic. In Detroit, race is central to understanding these narratives and the different meanings of gentrification. In this paper, I draw on in‐depth interviews with key visionaries and community leaders, all of whom share a broad concern for social justice. Two narratives that both challenge the dominant perspectives on Detroit become clear. The first sees gentrification is a necessary evil whose negative effects need to be carefully managed. The second is the perspective from many African American activists that gentrification is part of a continuum of racial discrimination. An analysis of these narratives helps to expose injustices, propose socially‐just solutions and politicise gentrification and its consequences, key elements of critical urban planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Doucet, 2020. "Deconstructing Dominant Narratives of Urban Failure and Gentrification in a Racially Unjust City: The Case of Detroit," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 111(4), pages 634-651, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:111:y:2020:i:4:p:634-651
    DOI: 10.1111/tesg.12411
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/tesg.12411
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/tesg.12411?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter Marcuse, 2009. "From critical urban theory to the right to the city," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2-3), pages 185-197, June.
    2. Neil Brenner, 2009. "What is critical urban theory?," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(2-3), pages 198-207, June.
    3. Rowland Atkinson, 2003. "Introduction: Misunderstood Saviour or Vengeful Wrecker? The Many Meanings and Problems of Gentrification," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 40(12), pages 2343-2350, November.
    4. Tom Slater, 2006. "The Eviction of Critical Perspectives from Gentrification Research," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 737-757, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Karin Wiest & Laura Torreiter & Elisabeth Kirndörfer, 2022. "The Role of Natio‐Ethno‐Cultural Difference in Narratives of Neighbourhood Change – An Arrival Area in the East German Context," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 113(1), pages 19-34, February.
    2. Na Jiang & Andrew Crooks & Wenjing Wang & Yichun Xie, 2021. "Simulating Urban Shrinkage in Detroit via Agent-Based Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-22, February.
    3. Yunmi Park & Minju Kim & Kijin Seong, 2021. "Happy neighborhoods: Investigating neighborhood conditions and sentiments of a shrinking city with Twitter data," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 539-566, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cardullo, Paolo, 2017. "Gentrification in the mesh? Ethnography of Open Wireless Network - Deptford," OSF Preprints jm68s, Center for Open Science.
    2. Eduardo Mendieta, 2010. "The city to come: Critical urban theory as utopian mapping," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 442-447, August.
    3. Tim Butler, 2007. "Re‐urbanizing London Docklands: Gentrification, Suburbanization or New Urbanism?," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 759-781, December.
    4. Shenjing He, 2012. "Two Waves of Gentrification and Emerging Rights Issues in Guangzhou, China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(12), pages 2817-2833, December.
    5. Peter Marcuse, 2010. "In defense of theory in practice," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(1-2), pages 4-12, February.
    6. Andrew Harris, 2008. "From London to Mumbai and Back Again: Gentrification and Public Policy in Comparative Perspective," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(12), pages 2407-2428, November.
    7. Veikko Eranti & Taina Meriluoto, 2023. "PLURALITY IN URBAN POLITICS: Conflict and Commonality in Mouffe and Thévenot," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5), pages 693-709, September.
    8. Geoffrey De Verteuil, 2011. "Evidence of Gentrification-induced Displacement among Social Services in London and Los Angeles," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(8), pages 1563-1580, June.
    9. Kurt Iveson, 2010. "Some critical reflections on being critical: Reading for deviance, dominance or difference?," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 434-441, August.
    10. Morgana G Martins Krieger & Marlei Pozzebon & Lauro Gonzalez, 2021. "When social movements collaborate with the state towards the right to the city: Unveiling compromises and conflicts," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 53(5), pages 1115-1139, August.
    11. Kębłowski, Wojciech & Van Criekingen, Mathieu & Bassens, David, 2019. "Moving past the sustainable perspectives on transport: An attempt to mobilise critical urban transport studies with the right to the city," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 24-34.
    12. Kate Shaw, 2008. "A Response to ‘The Eviction of Critical Perspectives from Gentrification Research’," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 192-194, March.
    13. Sharon M. Meagher, 2010. "Critical thinking about the Right to the City: Mapping garbage routes," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 427-433, August.
    14. Zoomers, Annelies & van Noorloos, Femke & Otsuki, Kei & Steel, Griet & van Westen, Guus, 2017. "The Rush for Land in an Urbanizing World: From Land Grabbing Toward Developing Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable Cities and Landscapes," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 242-252.
    15. Kevin Ward & Colette Fagan & Linda McDowell & Diane Perrons & Kathryn Ray, 2010. "Class Transformation and Work-Life Balance in Urban Britain: The Case of Manchester," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 47(11), pages 2259-2278, October.
    16. Gary Bridge, 2014. "On Marxism, Pragmatism and Critical Urban Studies," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(5), pages 1644-1659, September.
    17. Stephan Gundel & Achim Hecker, 2006. "Funding and operation of stadiums and arenas beside high-class leagues," Working Papers 0604, International Association of Sports Economists;North American Association of Sports Economists.
    18. Esin Özdemir & Ayda Eraydin, 2017. "Fragmentation in Urban Movements: The Role of Urban Planning Processes," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(5), pages 727-748, September.
    19. Xue, Jin, 2014. "Is eco-village/urban village the future of a degrowth society? An urban planner's perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 130-138.
    20. Kafui Attoh, 2017. "Public transportation and the idiocy of urban life," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(1), pages 196-213, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:tvecsg:v:111:y:2020:i:4:p:634-651. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0040-747X .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.