Promises and Pitfalls of a New Early Warning System for Gentrification in Buffalo, NY

Abstract

Gentrification and its resultant displacement are one of the many "wicked problems" of social policy. The study of gentrification and displacement spans half a century, concerns a variety of spatial, temporal, and social contexts, and describes socio-political processes of across the globe and throughout history. One current iteration of this field of inquiry are efforts to identify "early indicators" of gentrification and/or displacement, or the creation of "early warning systems" (EWS). The current work adds to scholarship on the utility of developing an EWS by examining the methodological considerations required for such systems to serve a justice-oriented preventative role.