gentrify
/ˈdʒɛntrɪfaɪ/
verb
- To change a neighborhood by renovating buildings and attracting wealthier residents, often displacing the original, poorer residents.
- Many residents worry that new developments will gentrify their community and force them to move.
- The city's plan to gentrify the area has led to higher rents and a loss of local businesses.
- New coffee shops and art galleries are starting to gentrify the old industrial district.
Synonyms