As the climate crisis moves from a distant threat to a lived reality, cities across the world are recognizing the importance of actions that will not only reduce emissions but help communities adapt to climate change. In response to this, cities are now introducing climate-friendly infrastructure such as nature-based solutions, active travel routes, and liveable neighbourhoods. Although these actions provide multiple benefits for communities, there is a risk that these changes will lead to green gentrification, a process whereby climate friendly infrastructure precipitates the displacement of local communities and exacerbates urban inequality ( Anguelovski et al., 2019 ; Dooling, 2009 ) Despite the growing prevalence of green gentrification, practical policy measures to mitigate its impacts remain underutilised by local authorities in Europe ( Anguelovski et al., 2022 ; Connolly et al., 2018 ). Drawing on both academic and grey literature, this article first defines the term and relevance of green gentrification within the context of achieving urban net zero targets. Second, the article compares three European case studies to explore the impact of green gentrification and the role that local authorities have in addressing it (each case study focuses on a different economic, social, and environmental measure). This international comparative analysis will form the basis for a series of policy recommendations for local governments for primarily European municipalities but also has applicability in other regional contexts.
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Creasy et al. (2024) studied this question.