Commodification Gap - Gentrification and Public Policy in London, Berlin and St. Petersburg

Informationen zum Autor Matthias Bernt is a sociologist and political scientist who works as a Senior Researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space in Erkner, Germany. He is also Adjunct Professor at Humboldt University in Berlin. His research focuses on the interrelations between urban development and urban governance. Klappentext THE COMMODIFICATION GAP'In an elegant and careful theoretical analysis, this book demonstrates how gentrification is always entwined with institutions and distinctive contextual processes. Matthias Bernt develops a new concept, the "commodification gap", which is tested in three richly researched cases. With this, the concept of gentrification becomes a multiplicity and the possibility of conversations across different urban contexts is expanded. A richly rewarding read!'--Jennifer Robinson, Professor of Human Geography, University College London, UK'Urban studies has reached a stalemate of universalism versus particularism. Matthias Bernt is breaking out of this deadlock by being very precise about what exactly is universal and what is not - and how one can conceptualize both. The Commodity Gap is a key contribution to not only gentrification studies, but also to comparative urbanism and urban studies at large.'--Manuel B. Aalbers, Division of Geography & Tourism, KU Leuven, BelgiumThe Commodification Gap provides an insightful institutionalist perspective on the field of gentrification studies. The book explores the relationship between the operation of gentrification and the institutions underpinning - but also influencing and restricting - it in three neighborhoods in London, Berlin and St. Petersburg. Matthias Bernt demonstrates how different institutional arrangements have resulted in the facilitation, deceleration or alteration of gentrification across time and place.The book is based on empirical studies conducted in Great Britain, Germany and Russia and contains one of the first-ever English language discussions of gentrification in Germany and Russia. It begins with an examination of the limits of the widely established "rent-gap" theory and proposes the novel concept of the "commodification gap." It then moves on to explore how different institutional contexts in the UK, Germany and Russia have framed the conditions for these gaps to enable gentrification. The Commodification Gap is an indispensable resource for researchers and academics studying human geography, housing studies, urban sociology and spatial planning. Zusammenfassung THE COMMODIFICATION GAP'In an elegant and careful theoretical analysis, this book demonstrates how gentrification is always entwined with institutions and distinctive contextual processes. Matthias Bernt develops a new concept, the "commodification gap", which is tested in three richly researched cases. With this, the concept of gentrification becomes a multiplicity and the possibility of conversations across different urban contexts is expanded. A richly rewarding read!'--Jennifer Robinson, Professor of Human Geography, University College London, UK'Urban studies has reached a stalemate of universalism versus particularism. Matthias Bernt is breaking out of this deadlock by being very precise about what exactly is universal and what is not - and how one can conceptualize both. The Commodity Gap is a key contribution to not only gentrification studies, but also to comparative urbanism and urban studies at large.'--Manuel B. Aalbers, Division of Geography & Tourism, KU Leuven, BelgiumThe Commodification Gap provides an insightful institutionalist perspective on the field of gentrification studies. The book explores the relationship between the operation of gentrification and the institutions underpinning - but also influencing and restricting - it in three neighborhoods in London, Berlin and St. Petersburg. Matthias Bernt demonstrates how different institutional arrangeme...

List of contents

List of Figure ix
 
List of Tables x
 
Series Editors' Preface xi
 
Preface xii
 
1 Introduction 1
 
Gentrification Between Universality and Particularity 1
 
How to Compare? Why Compare? 8
 
Concepts and Causation 11
 
Design of this Study 15
 
Notes 22
 
2 Why the Rent Gap isn't Enough 25
 
Where the Rent Gap Works Well 25
 
Where the Rent Gap Falls Short 30
 
When and Why does Capital Flow? 32
 
At Which Scale is the Rent Gap Positioned? 34
 
Which Rent? 37
 
Property as Control? 40
 
How is the Rent Gap Realised? 43
 
Embedding Gentrification 48
 
Economy, Society and States 48
 
The Commodification Gap 51
 
Notes 54
 
3 Three Countries, Three Housing Systems 57
 
The British Experience 57
 
From Private Landlordism to a Dual Market 58
 
The Thatcherite Revolution 60
 
New Labour: More of the Same? 65
 
Austerity and New 'Class War Conservatism' Under the Coalition Government 70
 
Conclusion: Neoliberalism, Tenurial Transformation and Gentrification 73
 
The German Experience 77
 
From the Controlled Housing Economy to the Lücke Plan 77
 
The Design of Tenant Protections 84
 
The Conservative Wende 86
 
Reunification and Neoliberal Consensus 89
 
Conclusion: Gentrification Between Regulation and Deregulation 91
 
The Russian Experience 98
 
Housing in the Soviet Union 99
 
From Shock Therapy to Failing Markets 102
 
Restricted State Capacities and Opportunity Planning 110
 
Conclusion: Gentrification in a Dysfunctional Market 112
 
State Intervention in Housing: Setting the Parameters for Gentrification 118
 
Notes 124
 
4 Barnsbury: Gentrification and the Policies of Tenure 129
 
The Making of Early Gentrification 129
 
The Right to Buy: Pouring Fuel on the Fire 137
 
The New Economy of Gentrification 141
 
Capital Gains Instead of Owner- Occupation 142
 
Penalty Renting 145
 
From Value Gap to Super- gentrification 150
 
Notes 154
 
5 Prenzlauer Berg: Gentrification Between Regulation and Deregulation 157
 
From Plan to Market 158
 
Rolling out the Market, Weakening Public Control 162
 
Since 2000: Privately Financed Refurbishments, Condominium Boom and No Regulation 164
 
New Build Gentrification and Energy Efficient Displacement 167
 
Between Deregulation and Re- regulation 171
 
Gentrification with Brakes? 174
 
Notes 179
 
6 Splintered Gentrification: St Petersburg, Russia 181
 
Unpredictable Regeneration Schemes 183
 
World Heritage vs. Gentrification 186
 
The Dissolution of Kommunalki Flats 192
 
State- run Repair and Renewal 198
 
Pro and Contra Gentrification 202
 
Notes 206
 
7 The Commodification Gap 207
 
Universality vs. Particularity Revisited 207
 
Gentrification and Decommodification 216
 
Meeting the Challenge: New Directions for Research and Politics 217
 
Notes 221
 
Appendix A Compulsory Purchase in Barnsbury 223
 
Appendix B Residents in NS- SeC Classes 1 and 2 229
 
References 235
 
Index 257

Report

'In an elegant and careful theoretical analysis, this book demonstrates how gentrification is always entwined with institutions and distinctive contextual processes. Matthias Bernt develops a new concept, the "commodification gap", which is tested in three richly researched cases. With this, the concept of gentrification becomes a multiplicity and the possibility of conversations across different urban contexts is expanded. A richly rewarding read!'
Jennifer Robinson, Professor of Human Geography, University College London, UK
 
'Urban studies has reached a stalemate of universalism versus particularism. Matthias Bernt is breaking out of this deadlock by being very precise about what exactly is universal and what is not - and how one can conceptualize both. The Commodity Gap is a key contribution to not only gentrification studies, but also to comparative urbanism and urban studies at large.'
Manuel B. Aalbers, Division of Geography & Tourism, KU Leuven, Belgium

Product details

• Authors: M Bernt, Matthias Bernt, Bernt Matthias
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.07.2022
• EAN: 9781119603047
• ISBN: 978-1-119-60304-7
• No. of pages: 272
• Series: Studies in Urban and Social Change; IJURR Studies in Urban and Social Change Book Series
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences > Geography; Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > Sociological theories; Soziologie, Politikwissenschaft, Gentrifizierung, Geographie, Sociology, Geography, Stadtsoziologie, Political Science, Stadtgeographie, Urban Sociology, Urban geography, Öffentliche Ordnung u. Verwaltung, Public Policy & Administration