The Commodification Gap: Gentrification and Public Policy in London, Berlin and St. Petersburg

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In an elegant theoretical analysis, this book explores the intricate relationship between gentrification and the institutions that shape it. Matthias Bernt introduces the concept of the “commodification gap,” tested through three well-researched case studies. This approach expands the understanding of gentrification as a multifaceted phenomenon, fostering dialogue across diverse urban contexts. The work addresses the stalemate in urban studies between universalism and particularism, offering clarity on what is universal and what is not. It contributes significantly to gentrification studies, comparative urbanism, and urban studies as a whole. Providing an insightful institutionalist perspective, the book examines gentrification's operation alongside the institutions that influence and restrict it in neighborhoods across London, Berlin, and St. Petersburg. Bernt illustrates how varying institutional arrangements have facilitated, decelerated, or altered gentrification over time and place. Based on empirical research in Great Britain, Germany, and Russia, it includes one of the first discussions of gentrification in these countries in English. The analysis begins by critiquing the established “rent-gap” theory and subsequently introduces the novel “commodification gap.” This work is an essential resource for researchers and academics in human geography, housing studies, urban sociology, and spatial planning.