Does Spatial Assimilation Lead to Reproduction of Gentrification in the Global City?

Abstract

In the political economy of place, cities can be thought of as a global commodity marketed to the “creative class” and high-skilled immigrants, while privileged suburban spaces are protected by place stratification. The spatial assimilation literature shows that assimilated immigrants and minorities move to white, Anglo suburbs, resulting in some succession. Is there a positive association between spatial assimilation and gentrification? How have populations in gentrifying neighborhoods and those experiencing spatial assimilation changed? This study answers these questions using standard panel data techniques and propensity score matching to analyze normalized Census data from the National Neighborhood Change Database (1970-2010). Gentrification and spatial assimilation are correlated: the former increasing, the latter plateaued. Whites declined in both types of neighborhood. Gentrifying neighborhoods see no influx of immigrants, except Hispanics. There appears to remain more barriers to spatial assimilation than to gentrification, a finding consistent with place stratification theory.