Gentrifying New Orleans: Thoughts on Race and the Movement of Capital

Abstract

This article examines contemporary discourses of race, gentrification, and demographic change in post-Katrina New Orleans. Although much public debate over gentrification has often centered on the displacement of black and brown communities, and the loss of neighborhood identity and cultural authenticity, this article emphasizes the underlying class interests and broader urban processes that drive rent-intensification. Without a critical analysis of political-economy and the complex roles that culture, race, and nostalgia play in place-making and real-estate valuation, we may well lose sight of how urban land development actually unfolds, and fail to devise effective public solutions that can guarantee adequate housing for all.