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GENTRIFICATION – the process of changing the character of urban space. Due to economic, social and political factors, the social structure of residents of particular districts is being rebuilt. Gentrified districts are usually located near the city centre and inhabited by the poorer part of the local community. Along with the increasing density of the city and the increase in property prices, they become a natural refuge for representatives of alternative trends or young artists. The increase in attractiveness of the external environment increases the interest in investing in these spaces – in terms of their renovation, increasing their standard, e.g., by increasing the height of buildings. The reconstruction of a district is accompanied by a consistent increase in the cost of living, i.e. taxes, including local prices, prices in local shops, parking fees, etc. The local community unable to bear the financial pressure, moves further from the centre to less attractive, cheaper districts, as a result of which the sociodemographic structure of the district is disturbed. Gentrification is a concept associated with → urban policy. The city (local government unit) as part of its activities is responsible for maintaining a proper balance between the renewal of urban space and caring for the interest of local communities, because urban tissue (and its identity) is a guarantee of sustainable development of the city [ B. Celejewski ].

Literature: D. Ley, Gentrification and the Politics of the New Middle Class, „Environmental and Planning, Society and Space”, vol 12, issue 1, 1994 ■ Sh. Zukin, Naked City, The death and life of authentic urban places, New York 2010.