Tourism and Urban Policy: rehabilitation, touristification, and transformation of the commercial fabric of Malaga’s Historic Centre
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Abstract
This study analyses the process of tourist specialization that historic city centres in Western cities are experiencing, using the case of Málaga. The objective is to examine how urban regeneration policies have contributed to the touristification of space in general, and the commercial fabric in particular. In other words, this concerns their alignment with the needs and demands of tourism, which diverts the spatial regeneration from its initial goals and holds negative implications for the resident population. A methodology is used that combines spatial and statistical analysis of concentration variables, diversity, and changes in commercial uses, along with documentary review of plans and projects, especially those co-financed through European funds. The results reveal that these policies have contributed to the touristic gentrification of Málaga's Historic Centre, through a concentration of tourist businesses that has displaced traditional businesses, as well as indirectly affecting residents. These findings highlight the role of tourism in legitimizing the neoliberal management of the city, which persists despite the COVID-19 crisis. In fact, recent plans indicate an intensification and expansion of this trend into other areas of the city.
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