That's one issue BBC News Magazine looks at in their recent article "The Cupcake Revival:"
According to others, cupcakes are a clear cultural barometer. Academics in New York are constructing a map of emerging cupcake shops throughout the city. The theory is that these give a more accurate guide to gentrification than traditional demographic and housing surveys.
Nicola Twilley, of Edible Geography, believes "cupcake gentrification" could even be a cause of urban regeneration and not an effect.
"While I wouldn't argue that cupcakes can single-handedly cause a neighbourhood to gentrify, I think it's possible that they could contribute.
"The best agents for social change are virally popular and easily integrated into our daily lives - there's no doubt that cupcakes fit that bill. You could create an investment fund that would back local cupcake entrepreneurs who wanted to set up shop in depressed neighbourhoods."
According to others, cupcakes are a clear cultural barometer. Academics in New York are constructing a map of emerging cupcake shops throughout the city. The theory is that these give a more accurate guide to gentrification than traditional demographic and housing surveys.
Nicola Twilley, of Edible Geography, believes "cupcake gentrification" could even be a cause of urban regeneration and not an effect.
"While I wouldn't argue that cupcakes can single-handedly cause a neighbourhood to gentrify, I think it's possible that they could contribute.
"The best agents for social change are virally popular and easily integrated into our daily lives - there's no doubt that cupcakes fit that bill. You could create an investment fund that would back local cupcake entrepreneurs who wanted to set up shop in depressed neighbourhoods."
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