Towards a geography of displacement. Moving out of Brussels’ gentrifying neighbourhoods

Colouring Inside What Lines? Interference of the Urban Growth Boundary and the Political–Administrative Border of Brussels

“…Over time, e.g. when a stable professional and family life is achieved, a part of this immigrant population is itself suburbanizing (Van Criekingen, 2008). This phenomenon leads to additional pressure on the property market, both inside BCR as in the suburban areas around Brussels, which are in geographical terms mainly located in the Flemish Region.…”

Urban renewal without displacement? Belgium’s ‘housing contract experiment’ and the risks of gentrification

“…These examples illustrate that gentrification has become part and parcel of urban policy and that already disadvantaged groups may bear the burden (Atkinson 2000;Smith 2006). In this context, it has been argued that the rhetoric of social mixing masks displacement processes and thus establishes gentrification by stealth rather than force (Bridge et al 2012) The urban policies of the Belgian regional governments of Flanders and Brussels are in line with these general trends (Loopmans et al 2007;Loopmans 2008;Loopmans et al 2010;Van Criekingen 2008.…”

Meanings, politics and realities of social mix and gentrification – a view from Brussels

“…Rather, these findings indicate where the household types most vulnerable to gentrification-induced displacement pressures are most likely to relocate. In this sense, it is suggested here that most of the potential displacees are restricted to short-distance moves within the city, primarily directed towards impoverished working-class neighbourhoods in the western inner city, while some others move over longer distances and leave the city as a whole (Van Criekingen, 2008). …”

“…In what follows, we intend to further build on this crucial articulation. After a presentation of the place-specific context in which gentrification processes are embedded in the Brussels' case, we comment on previous empirical analyses ( Van Criekingen, 2008, 2009) dedicated to test whether gentrificationinduced displacement processes fuelling broader patterns of increasing socio-spatial fragmentation could be identified at the city scale, using data on migrations to and from inner neighbourhoods.…”

“…In a city like Brussels, empirical explorations of population migration dynamics directed towards or originating from inner neighbourhoods offers a relevant way to gain insights into the socio-spatial impacts of gentrification against which narratives advocating the revitalisation and enhanced social mixing of these neighbourhoods could be ultimately confronted (see Van Criekingen, 2008, 2009 for details on datasets and methodologies).…”