When was the word gentrification created?

Answer 1

The word 'gentrification' is one of those rare words whose origins are very easy to trace.

The term was coined in 1964 by sociologist Ruth Glass, writing about areas formerly considered poor or working-class which were bought into by middle-class people moving from less-populated areas following availability of work for them in cities.

Whole sections of large towns and cities were taken over, with small, humble homes, frequently cottages and terraced housing, renovated into highly-desirable, trendy residences, now priced well out of reach of the original tenants.

Glass used the term 'gentry' to base her word, 'gentrification', observing that the gentrification of these neighbourhoods altered the entire social makeup of the area. With the high-priced, elegant homes came matching upmarket infrastructure such as shops, restaurants and other services, so that little of the area once familiar to the original locals remained.

Ruth Glass was writing about London and its environs when she coined the word, but the process is now well-identified worldwide, and the term 'gentrification' widely used.

Answer 2

The term "gentrification" was coined in the 1960s by sociologist Ruth Glass to describe the process of wealthier individuals moving into urban neighborhoods and displacing lower-income residents.