Gentrification is an urban transformation process involving the renewal of degraded or impoverished neighborhoods through the arrival of higher-income residents who replace the original, usually low-income, populations. This phenomenon is often accompanied by rising property prices, rental costs, and the displacement of long-standing communities. 

The causes of gentrification include factors like urbanization, real estate speculation, improved accessibility and infrastructure, and interest in previously neglected urban spaces. While renewal can bring benefits such as enhanced security and improved public spaces, it often leads to the eviction of long-term residents and the loss of a neighborhood’s cultural identity. 

The impacts of gentrification are complex: on one hand, gentrified areas see improvements in infrastructure and services, but on the other, the process creates social inequalities and an increasing disparity between new residents and vulnerable groups. Gentrification is often seen as a form of social exclusion and privatization of public space.