Climate Gentrification

Climate gentrification refers to the process by which climate-related risks or adaptation efforts, such as infrastructure investments or shifts in land desirability, inadvertently displace low-income and marginalized communities. This can occur, for instance, when wealthier populations relocate to higher-elevation areas perceived as safer from climate hazards like sea-level rise, driving up property values and triggering housing insecurity for long-standing residents.The term gained prominence through the work of Keenan et al. (2018), who documented this dynamic in Miami’s Little Haiti, where speculative real estate investment, framed as part of climate resilience planning, contributed to the displacement of vulnerable communities. As Shokry et al. (2022) emphasize, climate gentrification raises critical questions about justice and equity in adaptation planning, particularly in urban contexts where “superior investment pathways” tend to privilege economic gain over social inclusion.