Gentrification and Extractivist Touristification in Lavapiés, Madrid.
Reasons and Impacts of a Unique Convergence in Contemporary Southern Europe
In this context, the study delves into the intricate relationship between the dynamics of gentrification and touristification, followed by an analysis of their current interaction in the case of Lavapiés. Through a mixed-methods approach that combines ethnographic research with data from official statistical sources, the analysis demonstrates that the current transformation of Lavapiés is more complex than a simple disruptive touristification, as has occurred in other historic centers in southern Europe, such as Barcelona or Lisbon. In Lavapiés, this process intertwines and competes with other urban processes, such as the renewal of the built environment, the gentrification of residents and businesses, and the territorial precarity and stigmatization of a significant part of the neighborhood.
Thus, the recent emergence of the speculative tourism industry in Lavapiés has led to the displacement of the gentrifiers who arrived in the neighborhood in the late 1990s, as their distinctive lifestyles and consumption practices are increasingly hindered. As a result, the neighborhood is becoming an exclusive (and exclusionary) enclave, characterized by the simultaneous transformation of the traditional commercial landscape into a new disneyfied tourist commercial area and the conversion of family homes, both rented and owned, into high-yield financial assets.
Finally, the analysis concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering local sociopolitical contexts when studying gentrification and touristification, warning that generalist comparisons between cities may lead to misleading conclusions about the transnational dimensions of urban change processes in southern Europe’s central urban areas (and beyond).