Houses in Transformation. Interventions in European Gentrification

When we seek to revitalize deprived urban areas in Europe, the renewal of the built environment is not the only central theme: the demographic profile of the residents is also transformed. These processes of gentrification are at the heart of this book. Do they really improve the area? Which residents tend to benefit? And what is the role of art and culture in this development?
Profiles of the multicultural districts of European cities, such as London’s East End, Barcelona’s El Raval, and Amsterdam’s Indische Buurt, provide an overview of the many causes of this change and its current manifestations. This book furnishes the background for a well-informed debate on gentrification in Europe, with critical contributions by Neil Smith, Maja Breznik, Leeke Reinders, and Justus Uitermark.
Houses in Transformation also presents a selection of projects by artists, designers, and architects, which show that there are alternative ways of regenerating the urban residential environment. These interventions aim to create local, customized alternatives in which current residents are actively involved.