The Accidental Gentrifier
Lessons on Growing Cities, Saving Neighborhoods, and Supporting the Cultures That Call Them Home
Will be published approx. on 15. December 2026
Book
Hardback
288 pages
979-8-90268-006-2 (ISBN)
Description
An in-depth, nonpartisan analysis of gentrification as an opportunity to make change work for everyone from a veteran architect and urban planner.
Constant transformation is a given in urban life. However, re-vitalization and growth projects can often be sources of loss and displacement for many, creating mistrust and division. But change can be used for the common good. A vision of cities that serve everyone is possible, and begins with listening, engaging, and acting towards change together.
In The Accidental Gentrifier, Terry Shook chronicles his fifty-year path as an urban planner on the frontlines of urban evolution, shaping—and sometimes unintentionally destabilizing—communities. Candidly tracing his personal evolution and exposing the complexities behind gentrification in compelling and ongoing stories featuring real neighborhoods, he doesn’t simply define the problem and its effects but rather offers a message of hope and practical solutions towards equity, respect, and shared progress to save the cities we so cherish. Readers will learn:
Accessible, urgent, and optimistic, The Accidental Gentrifier offers insight and guidance for the ordinary citizen seeking to understand gentrification, those who have been labeled “gentrifier,” and for those concerned about the fates of their cities.
Constant transformation is a given in urban life. However, re-vitalization and growth projects can often be sources of loss and displacement for many, creating mistrust and division. But change can be used for the common good. A vision of cities that serve everyone is possible, and begins with listening, engaging, and acting towards change together.
In The Accidental Gentrifier, Terry Shook chronicles his fifty-year path as an urban planner on the frontlines of urban evolution, shaping—and sometimes unintentionally destabilizing—communities. Candidly tracing his personal evolution and exposing the complexities behind gentrification in compelling and ongoing stories featuring real neighborhoods, he doesn’t simply define the problem and its effects but rather offers a message of hope and practical solutions towards equity, respect, and shared progress to save the cities we so cherish. Readers will learn:
- Why gentrification is both unavoidable and deeply misunderstood
- To identify ways urban professionals and citizens alike can influence positive growth
- How to advocate effectively for more sustainable, equitable cities
- How cities can be built in ways that honor their pasts
Accessible, urgent, and optimistic, The Accidental Gentrifier offers insight and guidance for the ordinary citizen seeking to understand gentrification, those who have been labeled “gentrifier,” and for those concerned about the fates of their cities.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
BenBella Books
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
481 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-90268-006-2 (9798902680062)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Terry Shook, FAIA, is one of America’s top placemakers. He’s founding partner and principal of Shook Kelley, a renowned firm with offices in Charlotte and Los Angeles that integrates brand strategy, architecture, urban planning, and communication design. He’s convened neighborhoods and developers on projects in cities all across the United States, including transformational projects in Charleston, Charlotte, and Detroit. He is a lecturer at Harvard University, and has been recognized by the Clinton Library and School of Public Service. Few people, if any, have more intimate knowledge of gentrification and the other challenges of progress in our vital cities.
Michael Graff is a nonfiction author, essayist, editor, and longform journalist who’s covered North Carolina for more than a quarter-century. He is coauthor of The Vote Collectors (2021, UNC Press), which told the story of the real people and places at the center of the greatest verified election fraud scheme in recent American history. His work has appeared in publications around the world, including ESPN, The Guardian, Reader’s Digest, Garden & Gun, and Success.
Michael Graff is a nonfiction author, essayist, editor, and longform journalist who’s covered North Carolina for more than a quarter-century. He is coauthor of The Vote Collectors (2021, UNC Press), which told the story of the real people and places at the center of the greatest verified election fraud scheme in recent American history. His work has appeared in publications around the world, including ESPN, The Guardian, Reader’s Digest, Garden & Gun, and Success.