Sociology professor on supergentrification of Aspen
Dr. Jenny Stuber, associate professor of sociology, was recently interviewed by Next City to discuss her new book, “Aspen and the American Dream: How One Town Manages Inequality in the Era of Supergentrification,” (University of California Press).
As a young girl in the late 70s, Stuber visited her father in Aspen, CO in the summers. While many locals, like her father, were able to get by on middle-class salaries and lived in affordable homes, others spent millions on second, third, or even fourth homes. This experience, in part, inspired her to become a sociologist and explore questions of social class and how it's formed. In her new book, Stuber explores how the Aspen of her childhood has shifted into "supergentrification" and explains how, while the city has managed to maintain a working middle class, moneyed interests threaten to tip the scales in favor of high-end development.
Stuber spoke with Next City about her book, what supergentrification looks like in real-life, and what other cities and communities can learn from places like Aspen. Visit the Next City website to read the full interview.