Gentrification in Porto: Problems and opportunities (December 2018)

• Gentrification in Porto: problems and opportunities in the past and in the future of an internationally open city

• By Luis Carvalho, Pedro Chamusca, Jose Alberto Rio Fernandes, Jorge Ricardo Pinto. Published by Geography and Spatial Planning Journal, in December 2018

• Full text available on Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330003690_Gentrification_in_Porto_problems_and_opportunities_in_the_past_and_in_the_future_of_an_internationally_open_city

• Abstract:

  • The speed and scale of urban tourism growth raise new challenges to understand contemporary gentrification processes, namely for internationally open, heritage-rich medium-sized cities.

  • The paper explores such challenges in the city of Porto :

    • The authors claim that the concept is becoming rather diffuse and that there’s a need to consider different types of rapid urban change, namely social (of residents) and/or economic (related with activities).

    • They also defend a better appreciation of history by arguing that leisure-led gentrification processes have been taking place for centuries in Porto.

    • Further, they compare the 19th century British-driven gentrification processes in the city with the contemporary urban change in its central district, in order to highlight the unprecedented functional change imposed by international visitors and “floating city users”, as well as a number of associated challenges in keeping diversity having in mind what local development should be about.

• Keywords: Porto, Portugal, Airbnb, tourism, tourist apartments, tourist flats, gentrification, short-term rentals