Date of Graduation

12-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Geography (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Geosciences

Advisor/Mentor

Davidson, Fiona M.

Committee Member

Tullis, Jason A.

Second Committee Member

Yang, Song

Third Committee Member

Nakamura, Brian

Keywords

Economic; Gentrification; Income; Inequality; Land Use planning; Segregation; Urban

Abstract

Gentrification and income segregation are both poorly understood phenomena in terms of their causes and effects as is the relationship between the two topics. Even less is known in the context of small cities and over the time period spanning the last few decades. In this study public data from the U.S. Census, the American Community Survey and the Washington County Assessor's office has been used to measure economic gentrification in Fayetteville, Arkansas using an index based on property values and median rent prices and how much they have changed between 2000 and 2015. Then, using U.S. Census and American Community Survey disaggregated income data, changes in income segregation were calculated over the same time period using four different measures: segregation of poverty, segregation of affluence, entropy, and a segregation index. Each measure of gentrification and segregation was calculated for each census block group in Fayetteville before analyzing correlation and the lack thereof both visually, by using a series of maps, and by testing for statistical correlation between the gentrification index and each income segregation measure. While this study appears to reveal patterns of gentrification and increased income segregation in Fayetteville over the study period, evidence of correlation is non-existent to weak with results being largely inconclusive due to the small geographical size of the study area among other limitations.

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