AJ Golio (Tulane University) has been selected to receive the 2025 Best Article in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City Award for his paper ”What makes gentrification ‘white’? Theorizing the mutual construction of whiteness and gentrification in the urban US.”
This annual award gives recognition to a paper published in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City that is considered particularly outstanding as a scholarly contribution to the field of urban affairs. His paper was selected from amongst an international array of articles published in Volume 4 (2023) and Volume 5 (2024).
AWARD COMMITTEE ASSESSMENT
The article ”What makes gentrification ‘white’? Theorizing the mutual construction of whiteness and gentrification in the urban US.” by AJ Golio makes an outstanding theoretical contribution with significant implications for the field of urban affairs. Among a strong set of high-quality articles, Golio’s work stood out as a compelling and instructive theorization of gentrification, shedding light on how gentrification shapes and reproduces whiteness.
The article argues that gentrification is not only driven by racial privilege but also actively constructs and reinforces racialized identities, particularly whiteness. Through an elegant and well-grounded analysis, Golio highlights how whiteness operates as both a structural and ideological force, influencing—and also shaped by—economic and cultural dynamics in urban transformation. The article critically engages with racial capitalism and racialized organization to uncover theoretical gaps in existing literature, offering a novel framework that has the potential to reshape urban studies discourse. By advancing critical conversations about race, place, and power, this thought-provoking work is a deserving recipient of the Best Article in the Journal of Race, Ethnicity & the City Award for 2025.
AWARD RECIPIENT BIO
AJ Golio (he/him) is a Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology via the interdisciplinary City, Culture, and Community program at Tulane University. He is also a Monroe Fellow at the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South and former Mellon Fellow in Community-Engaged Research. He is author of a growing number of peer-reviewed articles on the intersections of urban processes, municipal policy, and racial inequity. His most recent work has been published in American Sociological Review and City & Community. AJ expects to complete his dissertation by Summer 2026 and will be on the academic job market beginning Fall 2025. His website is www.ajgolio.com.
AWARD PRESENTATION
The formal presentation of this award will be made at the upcoming International Conference on Urban Affairs in Vancouver, BC, Canada, at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. The theme of this year’s conference is Urban Concentration: Challenges to Equity, Mobility, and Sustainability. The conference will convene over 900 participants from 55+ countries and representing 20+ fields of study. All award recipients will be formally recognized for their achievements during the Awards and Recognition Program on April 16, 2025; 3:00–4:15pm.
AWARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Amit Patel, UMass Boston (Chair); Ryan Good, Eastern Mennonite University; Patricia Posey, University of Chicago; Wenfei Xu, Michigan State University
ABOUT THE URBAN AFFAIRS ASSOCIATION
The Urban Affairs Association (UAA) is an international professional organization for 1000+ urban scholars, researchers, policy analysts, & public service providers. UAA is dedicated to creating interdisciplinary spaces for engaging in intellectual and practical discussions about urban life. Through theoretical, empirical, and action-oriented research, UAA fosters diverse activities to understand and shape a more just and equitable urban world.
In addition to hosting an annual conference, UAA sponsors ongoing professional development opportunities; Upsilon Sigma: The Urban Studies Honor Society; and two peer-reviewed journals, the Journal of Urban Affairs and the Journal of Race, Ethnicity and the City. You can find UAA on the web, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Facebook, and X.
