Communication, Gentrification, and Urban Transformation. Community response on social media

Abstract

Gentrification is an urban process characterised by the renewal of neighbourhoods and the arrival of more affluent residents. While it can lead to improvements in infrastructure and public safety, it often displaces long-standing, lower-income populations due to rising living costs, thereby transforming the social fabric and local services of the area. Using a case study of the Lavapiés neighbourhood in Madrid, this article examines how residents use social media to coordinate and resist this phenomenon. It establishes the current context of gentrification in the area, explores the role of political actors past and present, and analyses the actions taken by neighbourhood groups on social media. The article concludes that, although local social movements are limited in scope, their primary focus is on opposing tourist accommodation and investment funds.