International Rural Gentrification – iRGENT

This project will deliver the first in-depth examination of the cross-national rural geographies of both the concept and phenomenon of
gentrification, through an integrated comparative study of the theory, forms and dynamics of gentrification across rural France, UK and
USA. The project aims to investigate the salience of rural gentrification as a concept that is capable of explaining rural change in France,
the UK and the USA. As a starting point, the project draws upon the concept of 'sociologies of translation' to understand past and current
differential meanings and uses of the term rural gentrification within academic, policy and popular discourses in France, UK and USA. An
asset-based theorisation of rural gentrification will be developed to create empirical indicators of the presence and use of social assets
within rural gentrification. Using these empirical indicators and comparable measures of rural, urban and peri-urban spaces, census and
other national datasets will be mapped to analyse the geographies of gentrification in rural France, UK and USA, and to develop a
typology of rural gentrification. Using this typology, detailed comparative studies of rural gentrification spanning a contrasting range of
rural regions and rural settlement areas within France, UK and USA will be undertaken using comparable interviews, surveys, and focus
groups.