New Gentrification Patterns in the Context of Urban Transition. The Unequal Spatial Distribution of Green-Certified Buildings in the City of Boston

The building sector has a key role in the urban transition since changing from a conventional building stock to a green one is critical for the reduction of emissions. Currently, there is a noticeable difference in costs between conventional and green buildings that is eventually reflected in the final price, this gap can be interpreted as the costs of urban transition in the building sector. This difference in costs can be assumed either by the private sector, the government, or a combination of both. This article explores the most important factors that define the distribution of green-certified buildings as a proxy for urban transition at the neighbourhood level in a context where most green buildings are developed by private investors and where these practices are mainly concentrated in the centric and wealthiest neighbourhoods. To achieve this, the paper uses a case study of the city of Boston, where there is a high density of green-certified buildings. The article proves the pertinence of using LEED-certified buildings as a proxy to estimate the costs of urban transition and how their variables influence the final price, identifies the main factors that define the distribution of LEED-certified buildings in Boston’s neighbourhoods and finally presents a first approximation to estimate the risk of green gentrification at the neighbourhood level. The paper expects to provide arguments to policymakers to invest and stimulate the presence of green-certified public buildings and housing in vulnerable neighbourhoods to achieve a more egalitarian urban transition and reduce the risk of green gentrification