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Project

Touristification, real estate financialisation and urban governance in Europe: a Comparative Analysis of Brussels, Milan, and Dublin

In the aftermath of the 2008 global crisis, tourism has become key in urban strategies implemented to attract investments, generate employment opportunities, foster competitiveness. However, the impacts on cities are quite critical. Short-term rental accommodations (STRAs) are affecting urban real estate markets and the already scarce supply and affordability of rental housing. Despite the Covid-19 outbreak, STRA digital platforms have sought new ways to overcome the crisis, either by building new partnerships with municipalities or by encouraging new forms of letting to specific target groups. In light of that, the question of how to regulate tourism and STRAs is still challenging governments and is crucial in the academic and political debate.
My work will investigate the intersection of touristification, financialisation of real estate and neoliberal/entrepreneurial urban governance through a comparative analysis of Brussels, Milan and Dublin. The study will uncover the connection between tourism and real estate in urban growth strategies and question the role of the state—in particular of local governments—in promoting such strategies and regulating the STRA market.
Besides producing an important scientific contribution, the project will have a great impact on policy making and represent an important step in my career development, thanks to the supervision of Prof. Aalbers, the collaboration with the REFCOM research group, training activities and mobility opportunities.
 

Date:1 Oct 2021 →  Today
Keywords:Touristification, real estate financialisation, urban governance
Disciplines:Urban and regional planning policy, instruments and legislation, Tourism policy, Sociology of leisure and tourism, Social geography, Urban and regional geography