An Examination of the Socio-Economic and Cultural Implications of Gentrification on Global Superstar Cities Using Case Studies from New York and San Francisco

Challenges have struck cities throughout human history, from natural disasters to large scale revolts. Though new challenges are emerging in par with the rise of digital technology that spurred international migration. Gentrification, an increasingly prevalent phenomenon combated by superstar cities, shined a spotlight to countless contemporary urban planners from around the world. Through influencing the housing market, gentrification has exacerbated spatial and income inequalities over time. Given its detrimental nature on lower wealth groups, this paper explores the socio-economic and cultural implications of gentrification based on San Francisco and New York. The study conducted by Mujahid et al in 2019, The Freeman Method combined with the American Community Survey one-year estimates in 2022 is used to examine quantitative changes in San Francisco neighborhoods from 2000 to 2013. On the study of New York, Sutton in 2020 collected quantitative data from Brown University, the American Community Survey from 2006 to 2010, and the US census data from 1970 to 2010. Similarly, Chronopoulos in 2020 borrowed quantitative data from the American Community Survey Five-Year data from 2009 to 2018 and the U.S census surveys from 1940 to 2000. Overall, examining gentrifications from two American superstar cities elucidates that gentrification not only diminishes cultural diversity, but also exacerbates inequalities from income, wealth, to racial.