Before gentrification was used to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods, the federal government destroyed and rebuilt to address blight, causing extreme displacement. Extensive criticism of ‘urban renewal’, a U.S. program of land redevelopment in urban areas involving the destruction of slum housing, businesses, the relocation of people, and the use of eminent domain, transformed that program into an ‘urban revitalization’ process following two themes: historic preservation and a...

Urban redevelopment has been the “new” strategy to bring re-investments within cities. However, this has caused great concern for many because redevelopment can also lead to the gentrification of “blighted” communities and the displacement of low-income residents, many of which are minorities of color. By focusing on the impacts of redevelopment on the residents of City Heights, a community within San Diego, this case study seeks to identify signs of gentrification and displacement.