Exploring the diversity of gentrification and the role of gender in Hong Kong, 1986 to 2006

Gentrification is restructuring the geography of cities all over the world (Clark, 2005; Hackworth and Smith, 2001; Lees, 2000; Smith and Defilippis, 1999; Wyly and Hammel, 1999). As a global city, Hong Kong experienced a transformation from an industrial to a specialized services and high-tech economy in the late 20th century (Ho, 1992; Lo, 1997; 2005). Accompanying this shift, there has been a notable drive for urban redevelopment that has fundamentally altered the physical and social characteristics of Hong Kong's neighborhoods. Despite the economic and built environment transformations in Hong Kong, not much attention has been given to neighborhood displacement of the poor, including women. With a focus on gentrification, I examine the various types of physical and social upgrading processes in Hong Kong from 1986 to 2006 and explore how women were involved in or affected by these redevelopment processes. This research answers the following four major questions: 1) How extensive have gentrification processes been within Hong Kong between the years 1986 and 2006? 2) What is the degree of displacement that has resulted from gentrification in Hong Kong during these years? 3) Have redevelopment efforts in Hong Kong resulted in a diversity of gentrification processes and what are some of their basic characteristics? 4) What is the role of women in Hong Kong's gentrification?;Principal component analysis and K-means clustering are used to identify areas within Hong Kong that are experiencing physical and social upgrading. From the quantitative analysis, three neighborhoods--Tiu Keng Leng, Kennedy Town, and Yuen Long--are selected for a qualitative study of neighborhood change, and an examination into the complexity and the diversity of capital reinvestment, social conflict, and displacement. These three neighborhoods are also used to show the diversity in the role of women in gentrification.;Results shows that in different parts of Hong Kong, gentrification is driven by different agents and diverse redevelopment processes that have resulted in a range of displaced income groups. The case study of Hong Kong reaffirms the importance of the extra-ordinary powers of the state in driving gentrification. It also reveals the increasing importance of the private sector initiating large-scale redevelopment and displacement. In addition, women are involved in or affected by gentrification in different ways in different parts of the city. Besides being an agent of gentrification, women are also the prominent segment of the urban population who are most vulnerable to displacement. The scale of gentrification and displacement is extensive in Hong Kong. The criticism by some researchers that gentrification is a highly limited process within small areas of the inner city is challenged by this research. This study of gentrification across an entire city shows that capital reinvestment and displacement is extensive and affects large areas of the city.