IDENTIFYING AREAS AT RISK OF CLIMATE GENTRIFICATION IN TAMPA CITY

Gentrification describes rapid infrastructure development and investment in areas with lower income classes. It may cause potential erasure of the original neighborhood's unique culture and the displacement of residents. Due to rising sea levels and the increase in the frequency and intensity of storms, the inundation of Florida will increase as time passes. This creates an ironic relationship where historical coastal areas inhabited by an affluent population will move inland to historically lower-income populations. This thesis developed a Climate Gentrification Index (CGI) to identify areas at risk of gentrification caused by inundation of storm scenarios in Tampa City, Florida. Socioeconomic data and inundation data produced from a hydrological model were combined to define CGI and areas with high risk were mapped and discussed.