Food and Gentrification

If you want to know which rough neighborhood in a city is about to become the next hipster enclave, watch to see where a new coffee shop opens up selling organic brews and smoothies. An upscale restaurant is bound to follow. Then maybe a pop-up farmer’s market on the weekend. And, before long, you’ve got new condos and art spaces moving in, along with wealthier—and often whiter—residents. Why is a thriving food scene such a reliable precursor to gentrification? Joshua Sbicca, a professor of sociology at Colorado State University and co-editor of the book “A Recipe for Gentrification,” provides some insight. (Originally aired November 11th, 2020)