From displacement to displaceability: State‐led gentrification in China’s urban villages

Abstract This paper explores the nuanced dynamics of displacement under state‐led gentrification through the concept of displaceability , using Shenzhen’s urban villages as empirical cases. Whereas earlier gentrification involved large‐scale demolition and immediate physical eviction, current urban renewal strategies employ incremental, policy‐driven redevelopment aimed at formalising informal settlements into quasi‐public housing. Through detailed analyses of Dachong, Shuiwei and Yuanfen villages, we demonstrate how state interventions, despite appearing inclusive, systematically marginalise low‐income migrants. We find that talent‐oriented redevelopment highlights subtle exclusionary displacement through selective eligibility criteria and rent policies, while centralised leasing schemes institutionalise prolonged vulnerability and persistent uncertainty for original tenants, intensifying socio‐psychological stress. By foregrounding these empirical insights, the paper refines understandings of displacement, emphasising temporal and socio‐institutional dimensions. Crucially, the paper expands geographic scholarship by demonstrating how state‐driven urban strategies actively generate conditions of chronic precarity, embedding socio‐economic exclusion within seemingly progressive urban renewal policies. We argue that recognising displaceability is essential for developing more inclusive housing policies globally, particularly in rapidly urbanising contexts of the Global South, where similar state‐driven redevelopment practices increasingly prevail.