Gentrification Is Inevitable and Other Lies

In 10 succinct chapters, Kern (Feminist City), a Canadian feminist and urban scholar, defines and outlines the current arguments surrounding gentrification while focusing on the inability to adequately discuss it with each other or within communities. Each chapter contains solid examples of where, when, and why gentrification is appearing in communities, and what the impact is on each respective group.The impact of gentrification on race, class, gender, age, and Indigenous peoples are astutely explored. Newer terms, such as “airbnbifcation,” which limits available housing supply, and “mentrification,” which creates gender bias, contribute to the education Kern instills in each chapter. Contemporary housing issues such as “reno-viction” (evicted for renovation), and crisis displacement (COVID) are also included. Near the end, there’s an anti-gentrification tool kit that can be used to increase advocacy at any level of citizen engagement. The kit begins with two simple questions: “Whose land am I on?” and “Who built this city?”