Equity in Motion: A 3P Framework for Quantifying Gentrification along Delhi’s Metro Spectrum

Metro infrastructure has accelerated urban gentrification, which takes different forms in different neighbourhoods based on their socio-spatial contexts and functional roles. Three strategically located Delhi Metro stations Kalkaji Mandir (interchange station), IIT Delhi (intermediate station), and Dwarka Sector 21 (terminal station) are the focus of this study's analysis of gentrification trends. Divergent paths of urban transformation are represented by Dwarka Sector 21, a transit gateway to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, IIT Delhi, an academic-institutional hub, and Kalkaji Mandir, a religious-transit nexus. This study examines land-use changes, policy interventions, and demographic shifts across these sites using Rigolon and Németh's (2019) 3P framework (People, Place, Policy). Data on housing affordability, migration drivers, and commercial densification are gathered using a mixed-methods approach that combines surveys (n=100 per site), focus groups (n=9 groups), and spatial analysis. A new Gentrification Score (GS) is calculated using Python-based algorithms that combine factors like changes in the change in rent, migration patterns, and change in building density. Initial results highlight the conflict between commercialisation and religious tourism in Kalkaji, the student-driven rental markets at IIT Delhi, and the booming luxury real estate market in Dwarka. In addition to promoting equity-sensitive transit policies that strike a balance between growth and cultural preservation, the study offers a scalable formula for measuring gentrification in cities in the Global South.