The Nature of Gentrification: Urban Environmental Veneers and the Remaking of the Spokane Riverfront - A talk by Jeremy Bryson September 30, 2010

This talk will explore how the urban natural environment is used as a veneer to obscure the often harsh social, economic, and political ecological realities of gentrification. An examination of the city of Spokane, Washington's preparations for an environmentally-themed World's Fair in 1974 reveals the complex interactions between nature and urban redevelopment. Spokane's experiences with its downtown greening projects during this period offer insights into the contemporary relationship between urban sustainability practices and gentrification processes.

Jeremy Bryson received a PhD in Geography from Syracuse University in 2010. This semester he is a Quadrant visiting fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Official Website: http://www.ias.umn.edu/quadrantcal.php