Taming the green gentrification cycle? Evidence from street greening in Vienna

Source abstract

Cities are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, prompting policymakers to implement urban greening. While extensive research has examined whether urban greening initiatives trigger gentrification, recent studies conceptualize a green gentrification cycle, where greening can both precede and follow gentrification. This study investigates both the occurrence of green gentrification and gentrified greening, as well as demand-, supply – and resource-side mechanisms shaping these processes. Using a mixed method approach, we quantitatively analyze the relationship between street tree planting, tenure commodification and social upgrading in Vienna between 1991 and 2021. Our qualitative analysis explores institutional arrangements and how actors frame mechanisms that influence these dynamics. Findings from quantitative analysis show no systematic evidence that green gentrification or gentrified greening is a significant trend related to street tree planting in Vienna. Interviews reveal that Vienna’s institutional framework, including decentralized green space planning, strong housing regulation and social housing provisions, acts as a buffer that tames the green gentrification cycle. While Vienna’s institutional framework currently tames the green gentrification cycle, its long-term resilience remains uncertain as climate change and real-estate pressures grow. These findings highlight the need for adaptive policy frameworks and further comparative research to better understand how institutional contexts shape green gentrification and gentrified greening globally.