Losing One’s Place During Policy Suspension: Narratives of Indirect Displacement in Shanghai’s New-Build Gentrification

While existing studies document physical and economic impacts of new-build gentrification, the temporally protracted trauma of indirect displacement in communities adjacent to redeveloped areas remains understudied. Employing constructivist grounded theory, this study asks the following question: ho...

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Main Authors: Pan He, Jianwen Zheng, Weizhen Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2766
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author Pan He
Jianwen Zheng
Weizhen Chen
author_facet Pan He
Jianwen Zheng
Weizhen Chen
author_sort Pan He
collection DOAJ
description While existing studies document physical and economic impacts of new-build gentrification, the temporally protracted trauma of indirect displacement in communities adjacent to redeveloped areas remains understudied. Employing constructivist grounded theory, this study asks the following question: how do residents experience place attachment erosion during prolonged policy suspension in Shanghai’s new-build gentrification? Through iterative analysis of 25 interviews, we reveal a temporal vicious cycle of waiting triggered by uneven redevelopment and policy inertia. This cycle systematically dismantles belonging through several mechanisms: (1) chronic place-identity deterioration; (2) progressive social network fragmentation; (3) the collapse of imagined futures; and (4) the ambiguous loss of place attachment—where physical presence coexists with psychological disengagement. Crucially, we redefine indirect displacement as a temporal erosion of place identity and attachment, revealing a paradoxical state of physical presence coexisting with psychological disengagement. This paper provides a new perspective for better understanding the different dimensions of indirect displacement in new-build gentrification, which will help inform equitable development efforts that are more inclusive and just.
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spelling doaj-art-a55f83b040704f8ea503aa55fe8933612025-08-20T03:04:42ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-08-011515276610.3390/buildings15152766Losing One’s Place During Policy Suspension: Narratives of Indirect Displacement in Shanghai’s New-Build GentrificationPan He0Jianwen Zheng1Weizhen Chen2College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaCollege of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaCollege of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, ChinaWhile existing studies document physical and economic impacts of new-build gentrification, the temporally protracted trauma of indirect displacement in communities adjacent to redeveloped areas remains understudied. Employing constructivist grounded theory, this study asks the following question: how do residents experience place attachment erosion during prolonged policy suspension in Shanghai’s new-build gentrification? Through iterative analysis of 25 interviews, we reveal a temporal vicious cycle of waiting triggered by uneven redevelopment and policy inertia. This cycle systematically dismantles belonging through several mechanisms: (1) chronic place-identity deterioration; (2) progressive social network fragmentation; (3) the collapse of imagined futures; and (4) the ambiguous loss of place attachment—where physical presence coexists with psychological disengagement. Crucially, we redefine indirect displacement as a temporal erosion of place identity and attachment, revealing a paradoxical state of physical presence coexisting with psychological disengagement. This paper provides a new perspective for better understanding the different dimensions of indirect displacement in new-build gentrification, which will help inform equitable development efforts that are more inclusive and just.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2766constructivist grounded theoryindirect displacementnew-build gentrificationplace-based traumapolicy suspensionShanghai
spellingShingle Pan He
Jianwen Zheng
Weizhen Chen
Losing One’s Place During Policy Suspension: Narratives of Indirect Displacement in Shanghai’s New-Build Gentrification
Buildings
constructivist grounded theory
indirect displacement
new-build gentrification
place-based trauma
policy suspension
Shanghai
title Losing One’s Place During Policy Suspension: Narratives of Indirect Displacement in Shanghai’s New-Build Gentrification
title_full Losing One’s Place During Policy Suspension: Narratives of Indirect Displacement in Shanghai’s New-Build Gentrification
title_fullStr Losing One’s Place During Policy Suspension: Narratives of Indirect Displacement in Shanghai’s New-Build Gentrification
title_full_unstemmed Losing One’s Place During Policy Suspension: Narratives of Indirect Displacement in Shanghai’s New-Build Gentrification
title_short Losing One’s Place During Policy Suspension: Narratives of Indirect Displacement in Shanghai’s New-Build Gentrification
title_sort losing one s place during policy suspension narratives of indirect displacement in shanghai s new build gentrification
topic constructivist grounded theory
indirect displacement
new-build gentrification
place-based trauma
policy suspension
Shanghai
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/15/2766
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AT jianwenzheng losingonesplaceduringpolicysuspensionnarrativesofindirectdisplacementinshanghaisnewbuildgentrification
AT weizhenchen losingonesplaceduringpolicysuspensionnarrativesofindirectdisplacementinshanghaisnewbuildgentrification