Measuring gentrification through commercial amenities: The case of Paris

Abstract

Understanding gentrification in cities remains a significant challenge for sustainable planning and for the struggle against inequalities. Change in neighbourhoods happens holistically and stems from a multitude of different factors. Here, we introduce an original measure to tackle the challenge of deciphering change: the Amenity Configuration Index (ACI). This data-driven methodology separates neighbourhoods depending on their present commercial amenities. We apply the index to Paris from 2014 to 2023 and argue that we are locating consumers with differentiated spending levels by proxy. We show that our index relates strongly to local socio-economic conditions and reflects known Parisian realities. Our approach provides a near real-time and scalable tool to monitor urban dynamics and allows for an adapted approach to the holistic issue of gentrification.

Keywords: Gentrification, Amenities, Consumption, Urban economics, Data-Driven Policy