From @GOVERNING — What, exactly, is gentrification?

What, exactly, is gentrification? An introduction to our special series on the issue. http://t.co/BvpJteq7ZP pic.twitter.com/PtzzbXINkg

— GOVERNING (@GOVERNING) February 8, 2015

From The Atlantic Cities CityLab — New Documentary Highlights The Reinvention of America's Streets

Filmmaker Todd Drezner was inspired to make a documentary about the future of traffic while stuck in hopeless gridlock between New York and Connecticut. He wanted to know whether it's going to get worse and what cities can do about it.

But once he started digging, Drezner realized the issue is bigger -- it's really about city streets reinventing themselves. Since last June, the director has been filming In Transit, capturing footage of urban planners trying to sell pedestrian and bike-friendly streets to skeptical communities in Detroit and New York.

But streets aren't changing in those two cities alone; it's happening all over the country. That's why Drezner started a Kickstarter campaign to support filming in more cities -- Los Angeles and San Francisco, for example. The campaign, which ends tomorrow, is currently about $2,500 shy of reaching its goal.  Read more: A New Documentary Highlights the Reinvention of America's Streets - Jenny Xie - The Atlantic Cities

From The Atlantic Cities — Why Gentrification Is So Hard to Stop

Cities are transforming, and it's palpable. The reliable no-frills coffeehouse shut down and two months later, there's an artisan bakery selling baguettes for $6. Your favorite barber tells customers he can no longer afford the rent; meanwhile a chain salon around the corner has an hour wait.

These scenes are all too familiar. On the surface, they're hallmarks of gentrification. That narrative starts with educated middle-income (and typically white) 20- and 30-somethings moving into a predominantly working-class community for bigger bang for their buck. Other yuppies follow suit. Eventually the neighborhood is made amenable to their palettes and preferences. Property values rise, minorities are displaced, and the public promenades that reflect urban diversity begin to look and feel otherwise. Read more: Why Gentrification Is So Hard to Stop - James Frank Dy Zarsadiaz - The Atlantic Cities