Deconstructing Dominant Narratives of Urban Failure and Gentrification in a Racially Unjust City: The Case of Detroit

In Detroit, pockets of gentrification can be found amid larger processes of neighbourhood decline. Emerging gentrification is rapidly shifting the city’s dominant narrative from one of urban failure, to a comeback city. Both these interpretations, however, are problematic. In Detroit, race is central to understanding these narratives and the different meanings of gentrification. In this paper, I draw on in‐depth interviews with key visionaries and community leaders, all of whom share a broad concern for social justice. Two narratives that both challenge the dominant perspectives on Detroit become clear. The first sees gentrification is a necessary evil whose negative effects need to be carefully managed. The second is the perspective from many African American activists that gentrification is part of a continuum of racial discrimination. An analysis of these narratives helps to expose injustices, propose socially‐just solutions and politicise gentrification and its consequences, key elements of critical urban planning.