Capital City - Gentrification and the Real Estate State - Samuel Stein Audiobook

Written by Samuel Stein
Read by Emily Beresford
Format: MP3
Unabridged

Succinct and well researched, Capital City forcefully critiques neoliberal urban planning in New York. Writer and city planner Samuel Stein first takes a wide-ranging look at the history of discriminatory housing policies and planning strategies in major U.S. cities throughout the 20th century, and then homes in on the gentrification of New York over the past three decades. The author lucidly breaks down the complex mechanics of so-called urban renewal, making clear how capitalist reinvestment in downtrodden working-class neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color almost invariably leads to higher property values, raised rents, and massive displacement (i.e., gentrification). The government’s refusal to ensure rent control, adequate public housing, and robust social services, Stein illustrates through his case study of New York, has led to a nightmarish scenario in which life in cities has become hyper segregated, costly, and stressful. Well worth checking out.