There are numerous strategies and tools for combating commercial gentrification and preventing small business displacement. Visit our interactive toolkit for tailored solutions or download our full toolkit.

In diverse places across the U.S. and internationally, small businesses and their advocates are coming up with innovative ways to address challenges and vulnerabilities in the face of gentrification.

We detail seven anti-displacement strategies, then highlight various tools that can be used to advance each strategy. Choose a strategy below to learn about:

  • How tools can be implemented;
  • The stakeholders needed to advance each tool;
  • The tools’ strengths as well as the challenges of employing them; and
  • Examples of how tools or strategies are being used in neighborhoods and cities around the U.S. and internationally.

Commercial Preservation and Property Improvement

Commercial preservation and property improvement programs aim to assist and preserve small, longtime businesses that are invaluable to the social fabric of communities.

Local Hiring and Entrepreneurial Support

Neighborhood businesses, particularly those owned by immigrants and people of color, tend to be small and have few employees.

Tax Credits and Incentives

Neighborhood small businesses may be eligible for tax credits to reduce their local, state, or federal tax obligations.

Zoning and Form-Based Codes

Zoning refers to municipal laws or regulations that dictate how a property can be used.

Commercial Tenant Protections

Commercial tenant protections reduce the risk of small business displacement in gentrifying areas by helping to address these challenges.

Community Ownership

Community property ownership is an effective way to resist displacement by controlling property, enterprises, and land.

Place-Based Management

Place-based management models encourage collaborative, holistic, and integrated approaches to preserving a neighborhood’s physical, civic, and social environment.