Metro Manila through the gentrification lens: Disparities in urban planning and displacement risks

Using Metro Manila as a case study, this paper investigates whether and how its current urban form and pattern of transformation can be explained by the theories of gentrification developed within the cities of the Global North. Two core features of gentrification are examined: the production of exclusive spaces and the related displacement of the poor or low-income households. The uneven development across the metropolis is discussed in terms of the longstanding tension between the weak city-state and the dominance of the landed elites. Falling through the gap are the urban poor, who arrange their housing within informal settlements and are exposed to multiple vulnerabilities, including the risk of displacement. Drawing on an empirical study of the displacement impacts of a public transportation project, this paper provides useful insights into how gentrification-induced displacement may unfold if land-based development takes place in a densely populated metropolis such as Metro Manila.