Addressing the need for more nuanced approaches towards transit-induced gentrification: A case for a complex systems thinking framework

Abstract

The role of public transportation has shifted over the last 2 decades as planners and policymakers increasingly integrate new transportation infrastructure as an economic growth tool that promotes density and desirability. This shift has also positioned new infrastructure as a driver for neighbourhood change and gentrification, leading to the evolution of literature that explores transit-induced gentrification. As this scholarship grows however, research has become fragmented, as the political economy work, which frames much of gentrification, is antipathetic to the neoclassical perspective that frames transportation research. The resulting inconsistencies have left researchers calling for the integration of new and holistic approaches that can address growing gaps. With transit-induced gentrification becoming more prevalent across large and mid-sized cities, and research lacking methodological consistency, this review considers: Can a complex systems thinking framework be used to better understand and address the process of transit-induced gentrification?