Still, many of Durham’s African-American residents feel they have little control over how it transforms.

City officials say that they are aware of the problem, and that maintaining a sense of inclusion and diversity is important to them.

“We don’t want a downtown where only rich people and white people feel comfortable,” said Jillian Johnson, mayor pro tempore on the City Council. “Left to its own devices, this market will trend to the people who have the most money to spend. In order to make downtown accessible and comfortable, there has to be more of an intentional push to maintain some of that racial and socioeconomic diversity.”

But Kathryn L. S. Pettit, a researcher at the Urban Institute, said that the sooner city leaders began to act, the better. Land costs can rise steeply with time, she said, reducing the options if the city waits too long to make decisions.

The city needs to examine the best uses of its land that would benefit a variety of residents, Ms. Pettit said. It is also important for the city to be as transparent as possible in all of its land-use decisions, particularly with big parcels, she added, because that can help head off disagreements and the sense of being left out.

Other solutions are available, said Derek Hyra, a professor of public administration and policy at American University and the author of “Race, Class, and Politics in the Cappuccino City.” He pointed to a program proposed by a District Council member in Washington that would provide grants to help longtime businesses remain and stay competitive.

Professor Hyra has also observed projects in which developers agreed to accommodate local businesses because of pressure from activists and nonprofit organizations.

“Grassroots organizations have to get involved, mobilized, and have to put pressure on developers and politicians to divert money to small businesses,” he said. “It won’t just naturally happen.”