Gentrifications without displacement in Hong Kong : a longitudinal study 2009-2019

Abstract

Displacement, involuntary housing mobility, is defined as the main characteristic of gentrification processes. Recent new built developments result in the advent of regeneration without displacement. Paralleling these changes, an alternative discourse on gentrification without displacement and authenticity is gaining momentum, however, there is still an empirical research gap to measure indirect gentrification and specific change in urban form and social environment. Using multiples sources of evidence, this study uses issue-led case study method to investigate characteristic of gentrification without displacement in Hong Kong. Three case-study areas with no obvious direct displacement, an office led regeneration, a new metro station and a reconstructed housing estate were selected to compare and analyse novel measurement of indirect displacement. The results show that changes of demographic and economic characteristics are not distinct from the Hong Kong’s average level, yet indirect displacement differs. The metro station has the most indirect impact followed by office led redevelopment and housing estate reconstruction. Unlike other study that focus on changes at street level, in Hong Kong, indirect displacement occurs in vertical levels related to the volumetric nature of Hong Kong urbanism.