Political economy and everyday practices behind gentrification in working-class urban neighbourhoods

This paper explores the synthesis of political-economy perspectives on uneven development with everyday-focused social-theoretical approaches, specifically examining gentrification through the lens of working-class residents’ experiences. The study argues that while uneven development imposes rigid structural constraints, it also serves to differentiate the working class and its internal constituents. The research is situated within the Central and Eastern European context, focusing on two Hungarian case study locations: Nagysándortelep in Debrecen and the Zsolnay district in Pécs. The methodology employs a multi-scalar approach, combining historical analysis with qualitative insights from narrative, semi-structured and focus group interviews. The analysis traces the evolution of both districts from their origins as industrial working-class colonies consolidated during the capitalist processes of the late 19th century through subsequent periods of socialiststate-led disinvestment and neoliberal urban strategies of capital reinvestment. By studying the current relationship of workers to slow, sporadic, and spontaneous gentrification within this urban-historical context, mutually reinforcing and undermining moments of structure and everyday practices emerge, exposing the dialectical relationship between the causes and consequences of gentrification. By bridging the gap between structural theories and micro-level agency, the paper contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how the production of space is negotiated and contested within the specific urban trajectories of the CEE region.