Condos: status symbol or worrying sign of gentrification?

. Yan Kestens et Julie Karmann Credit: Amélie Philibert | Université de Montréal Some people have a negative emotional response to the proliferation of condos in the Montreal region - and an UdeM doctoral candidate says we should listen to them. CONTENU - Whether or not you live in one, condominiums are a symbol of status and gentrification. For some people, living close to condos can make them feel annoyed, anxious, disappointed and pessimistic about the power dynamics at play in their neighbourhood. These are the findings of a qualitative study conducted by Julie Karmann, a PhD candidate under the direction of professor Yan Kestens in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine of the Université de Montréal's School of Public Health. Karmann's research project is part of a broader cohort study called INTERACT that examines the impact of urban change in four major Canadian cities, including Montreal, on 1,050 people. Through interview, the doctoral candidate explored the emotional response to such change on 32 residents of metropolitan Montreal aged 25 to 73, from October 2019 to January 2020.