Development-induced displacement is the involuntary removal of individuals and communities from their homes and land to make way for development or conservation projects. In our definition, we also include displacement caused by poverty and economic crises.
With 15 million development-displaced communities worldwide, our research aims to measure the extent to which gentrification efforts expose communities to heightened levels of stress due to the loss of social capital, cultural bonds, and removal into areas of degeneration. Our target groups include people displaced by extractive or regeneration projects and human-made disasters such as oil spillages, toxic waste disposal, and lead poisoning.
Closer to home, the Grenfell Tower disaster highlights the dangers and growing psychological harm at the intersection of gentrification, inequality and displacement. We will be working with civil society organisations and mental health practitioners to identify how gentrification and poverty intersect worsening mental health and how psycho-geographies matters to community well-being.
We also include communities impacted by economic collapse, with research insights following the recent crisis in Venezuela where food insecurity and political discord has caused migration to neighbouring states.
Our findings will support specific recommendations based on state’s commitments to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals as regarding SDG3 on ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’ and how this can translate into integrated policies and practices as part of wider efforts to modernise and develop by 2030.
