Inaccessible Amenities: The Effects of Gentrification on Voter Suppression in Austin

Abstract

Austin, Tx has a large history contributing to the segregation of \nmarginalized identities. This trend has led to the structure of \nthe city as it stands today, with many people of color \nconcentrated moreover to the East and South of the city, while \nrich white individuals tend to live on the West side and the \nNorth. Nevertheless, currently with the rise in popularity of \ngentrification comes another large issue with the displacement \nof these marginalized people, who tend to be of low income, \nfrom their neighborhoods as rent increases and spaces become \nless recognizable to these incumbents. \nThis work specifically looks to analyze the effects of \ngentrification in Austin upon these marginalized incumbents, \nand the new residents who have taken their place, in terms of \nVoter Suppression by addressing the differences in accessibility \nof polling locations via Metro in relation to the historic and \ncurrent demographics of individuals of each Austin City District.