IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A
Abstract
Emphasizing that all urban development iterations occur within racialized contexts, this paper examines gentrification processes that have reshaped a historically African-American community in Arlington, Virginia (a near-in suburb of Washington, DC) over the past two decades. Beyond its class-based determinants, we propose that gentrification must also be understood as a racialized value proposition, reflecting the intricate interplay of social, economic, and political factors that shape urban development. We highlight that prevailing perspectives on gentrification often overlook critical insights regarding the impact of these contexts, which are deeply rooted in the legacy of racial segregation policies and ideologies that have long structured social relations in American society. The result is a set of inherent blind spots concerning the racial dynamics at play in gentrifying neighborhoods, particularly concerning how valuation and risk management practices differ materially between predominantly white neighborhoods and communities of color. Focusing on these racialized structures, we reveal how they contribute to uneven economic benefits, generating greater profitability and lower risk for redevelopment in areas deemed more desirable. To illustrate these contentions, we present provisional findings from a quantitative analysis of land assessments in Arlington County over a 40-year period that demonstrate the play of racialized value across neighborhoods with sharply differing racial-demographic profiles. This paper ultimately seeks to advance the discourse on gentrification, advocating for an understanding that integrates both class and racial dimensions, thereby providing a comprehensive framework for analyzing urban transformation in contemporary society.
Delario Lindsey is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Marymount University, specializing in urban sociology. His research focuses on the dynamics of development and underdevelopment in urban contexts. His interests include residential segregation, land dispossession, urban peripheralization, and the frameworks of resistance and resilience associated with vulnerable urban communities. Dr. Lindsey has conducted studies on these topics in urban environments across both the global South and the global North.
Matt Bakker is Professor of Sociology at Marymount University, USA. His work has focused primarily on the political and economic dimension of transnational migration linking particular locales across the US-Mexico divide. He is author of Migrating into Financial Markets: How Remittances Became a Development Tool (2015) and co-author of Citizenship Across Borders: The Political Transnationalism of El Migrante.
Erik Alda is an associate professor of Criminal Justice at Marymount University, USA. He specializes in the performance measurement of criminal justice institutions, using advanced quantitative methodologies. His research examines law enforcement efficiency and resource utilization, with comparative studies conducted across Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. He also analyzes public policies by working with large administrative datasets, focusing on areas such as policing and youth within the justice system, alongside collaborative research projects in Spain, Mexico, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, Bulgaria, and the US.
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Friday 11th July, 2025