As Detroit has been changing over the last decade, one word has come up again and again to describe the city: gentrification.
Sharon Cornelissen is the author of “The Last House on the Block: Black Homeowners, White Homesteaders, and Failed Gentrification in Detroit.” She lived in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood for years, and says that while American cities pay a lot of attention to gentrification, they should focus more on population decline and disinvestment.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
December 9th, 2025, 07:46 pm
The Metro
Why cities should focus on depopulation, not gentrification
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32m
Published December 9th, 2025, 07:46 pm
Description
As Detroit has been changing over the last decade, one word has come up again and again to describe the city: gentrification.
Sharon Cornelissen is the author of “The Last House on the Block: Black Homeowners, White Homesteaders, and Failed Gentrification in Detroit.” She lived in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood for years, and says that while American cities pay a lot of attention to gentrification, they should focus more on population decline and disinvestment.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.
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