The Misunderstood History of Gentrification: People, Planning, Preservation, and Urban Renewal, 1915-2020 (Urban Life, Landscape and Policy)

The origins of gentrification date back to World War I – only it was sometimes known as “remodeling” then. Dennis Gale’s insightful book The Misunderstood History of Gentrification provides a recontextualization of American gentrification, planning, and policymaking. He argues that gentrification must be understood as an urban phenomenon with historical roots in the very early 20th century. 

Gale uses solid empirical evidence to trace the embryonic revitalization of Georgetown, Greenwich Village, Beacon Hill, and elsewhere back to 1915. He shows how reinvestment and restoration reversed urban decline and revitalized neighborhoods. The Misunderstood History of Gentrification also explains how federal policies such as the Urban Redevelopment Program (later named Urban Renewal), which first emerged in 1949, razed urban slums and created an “urban crisis” that persisted in the 1960s and ‘۷۰s. This situation soon prompted city gentrifiers and historic preservationists to reuse and rehabilitate existing structures.

Within a more expansive historical framework, Gale offers a fresh perspective on and debunks misperceptions about gentrification in America.

The book is published by Temple University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

“A critically important addition to the burgeoning literature on the subject.” (The Journal of Urban Affairs)

“An intriguing analysis of a previously unrecognized chapter in the history of urban gentrification…. Highly recommended.” (Choice)

“Essential reading for students of urban history, neighborhood change, and of course, gentrification.” (Alex Schwartz, The New School)