Comment on “Neighborhood Revitalization and Displacement: A Review of the Evidence”

Abstract

The issue of neighborhood revitalization and displacement certainly does have a déjà vu quality to it. While government officials, academic housing analysts, and even neighborhood groups seem to approach the problem as if it were a brand new phenomenon, in reality the recent history of displacement under urban renewal, the interstate highway system, and other government programs is very relevant. What is remarkable in the spate of literature that recently has emerged on the issue—of which Sumka's article is quite representative—is the failure to acknowledge that history and the lessons it might offer.