Gentrification and Urban Inequality in the Digital Age: A Literature Review

Abstract

This literature review by Huang Lihui explores the relationship between gentrification, urban inequality and the digital age. The central inquiry asks whether the integration of digital technology fosters urban equality or exacerbates disparities. The review articulates gentrification as a core urban process, contextualized within the digital era. A specific focus is directed towards understanding the emerging urban phenomenon of “digital nomads” and its interplay with gentrification, which is reshaping global urban spaces and dynamics. Reference materials encompass seminal works by Sassen and Beniger, illuminating the intricate relationship between globalization, digitalization and urban dynamics. The characteristics of digital nomads, as delineated by McElroy, Reichenberger, Brollo, Celata and Greg, are scrutinized, highlighting their digital reliance, mobility, lifestyle migration tendencies and implications for global labor divisions. The review underscores the complexity of gentrification, urging a nuanced examination amid evolving urban landscapes. Key trajectories in gentrification research since the beginning of the twenty-first century are traced, emphasizing shifts in neoliberal ideologies, calls for spatial justice and the emergence of transnational gentrification. Insights gleaned from the analysis of digital nomads shed light on their material and metaphorical impacts on urban inequality. Ultimately, the review underscores the need for comprehensive research to unpack the multifaceted inequalities engendered by the urbanization process of the digital age.