Mid-sized cities have seen a boom in population in the past several years. For example, the population of Austin grew from 911,000 in 2000 to 2,053,000 in 2020 (a 125% increase). Accompanying this change has been increased economic development and activity in a greater number of neighborhoods alongside sharp increases in the cost of housing and living expenses. While greater economic activity brings with it positive benefits, the cost-of-living implications can be harmful to existing local residents, particularly low-income residents of increasingly desirable neighborhoods. Often these populations do not reap the rewards of economic development and are pushed out of their neighborhoods. This process is known as gentrification.
Our project aims to predict neighborhoods that are likely to undergo gentrification. Identifying predictors for sudden and rapid gentrification of neighborhoods could allow communities to better prepare and protect at-risk populations in those neighborhoods and ensure a diverse set of people benefit from the associated economic development.