Confessions of a ‘doorstep researcher’: Reflections on a comparative study of displacement experiences

In many cities, public authorities engage in redevelopment or renewal of disadvantaged neighbourhoods. While the aim is social, physical and economic upgrading of these neighbourhoods, the result is often displacement of local residents. Despite the growing literature on displacement, we know little about how residents experience the process of displacement. This research studies residents’ displacement experiences through the analytical lens of accumulation by dispossession. This post looks at the challenges and rewards that come with comparative methods, writes Bahar Sakızlıoglu.