Posts

Alessio Varenna

A new SMARTDEST scientific publication: Labour precarity in the visitor economy and decisions to move out

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The scientific paper Labour precarity in the visitor economy and decisions to move out, by Riccardo Valente, Benito Zaragozí & Antonio Paolo Russo (2023), is now openly accessible at the following link of the Tourism Geographies journal:
https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2023.2172603

The more the tourist economy grows, and makes itself space in the interstices of the social fabric of a city, the more its very workforce results marginalized and ends up expelled from it. The case of Barcelona can be a template to argue that tourism growth must be a means to generate diffused prosperity and not an end in itself, and when those conditions are not given, for instance because the housing market is hijacked by speculators and short-term rentals, it becomes necessary to step back and rethink the fundamentals of economic development strategies. This paper is in open access and aims at contributing to the design of more effective and contextualized inclusion policies.

SmartDest

SMARTDEST updated project presentation on Open Access Government Magazine

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We have published a new article presenting our project on the Open Access Government magazine.

SMARTDEST tackles arguably one of the greatest challenges for urban areas and metropolitan regions in Europe: that of becoming sites of attraction for ‘temporary’ populations.

Cities have been historically the hub of multiple mobilities. Yet, the acceleration and compression of such mobilities, a fundamental trait of our age, is posing an unprece­dented threat to urban cohesion. Cities need to ‘make space’ for an ever-increasing number of visitors, short-stayers, expats, and the work­ers, goods, vehicles, infrastructure that facilitate their arrival and dwelling; and often, this subtracts to the opportunities, affordabilities, quality of life of ‘stable’ resident populations. One such mobilities is tourism. The attraction of tourists and the development of a visitor economy has been one of the fundamental dimensions of contemporary urban development. Yet, urban communities all over Europe recently started to feel that ever-growing tourist activity is turning into a hindrance for their way of life and a serious threat for their wellbeing.

In this moment of COVID pandemic emergency, the temporary blockage of tourism mobilities worldwide has also uncovered another key aspect of the problematic relationship between cities and tourism: the extreme dependence of urban areas from the attraction of large masses of visiting consumers.

The full article is available at the following Link

SmartDest

Cycling and walking for safe spaces after lockdown in cities, a “new normality”?

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by Alejandro González, GRATET-URV. May 2020

Cities are planning mobility transitions for encouraging cyclists and pedestrians to travel while respecting social distancing.

The capital of Lombardy, the region most hit by Covid-19 in Italy[1] and among the most polluted regions in Europe, plans for a climate-friendly way out of the crisis. This initiative follows other big cities like Paris[2], London[3] or Berlin[4], which are taking advantage of this global crisis in the hope of encouraging cycling and walking to transition to a “new normality” safely. As alternatives to a doctrine shock[5], policies oriented to mobility justice could provide a roadmap for other cities.

Milan[6] has announced that 35km (22 miles) of streets will be transformed over the summer, with a rapid, experimental citywide expansion of cycling and walking space to protect residents as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. The City Council wants to avoid the increase of pollution in the city during the stage of recovery, in which restrictions to avoid conglomerations in public transport are going to be implemented.

An unjust mobility system may well be related with the pandemic. Intercontinental transport is noted to have directly caused a rapid and global diffusion of the virus, that has subsequently provoked its collapse[7]. But also, the high carbon automobility system may be one of the most important contributors to fatality[8]. Other estimations suggest that more lives were saved due to the reduction in air pollution than those terminated by the virus[9]. Therefore, reducing polluting cars from streets may offer more chances to combat new (corona)virus outbreaks in cities and to make them more resilient.

However, far from being a new normality, Milan was also announced the suspension of the LEZs of the city until 31st of May[10]. Allowing all vehicles to enter, to circulate on public transport preferential lanes and all parking spaces are free for all[11]. Another side of the coin, the coronavirus might have prepared scenarios for shocking and transition. Which one will impose? Will governments take from granted the social de-escalation? Will climate and health prioritise come up on top? A critical analysis is deserved during next months and years to unmask the politics of mobility justice and virus.

[1] BBC (2020 March 22) Coronavirus: Lombardía, la región más golpeada de Italia anuncia medidas más estrictas para frenar el avance del covid-19 Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-internacional-51994635
[2] Carlton, R. (2020 April 22) Paris to Create 650 Kilometers Of Post-Lockdown Cycleways. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2020/04/22/paris-to-create-650-kilometers-of-pop-up-corona-cycleways-for-post-lockdown-travel/#6652f1ae54d4
[3] Harrabin, R. (2020 April 20). Coronavirus: Banning cars made easier to aid social distancing. BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52353942.
[4] Versti, L. (2020 March 27) Neuer temporärer Radweg am Kurfurstendamm. Berliner Morgen Post. Retrieved from https://www.morgenpost.de/bezirke/im-westen-berlins/article228794619/Neuer-temporaerer-Radweg-am-Kurfuerstendamm.html
[5] Moreno, D. (2020 April 1) Naomi Klein: “La gente habla sobre cuándo se volverá a la normalidad, pero la normalidad era la crisis”. El Salto. Retrieved from https://www.elsaltodiario.com/coronavirus/entrevista-naomi-klein-gente-habla-volver-normalidad-crisis-doctrina-shock
[6] Laker, L. (2020 April 21). Milan announces ambitious scheme to reduce car use after lockdown. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/21/milan-seeks-to-prevent-post-crisis-return-of-traffic-pollution?fbclid=IwAR0Or0kro67QH_5dkHs4ldazmkvyJtMkQTZOCjdrlqSJa_gvfAio62ICsJA
[7] Pierce, B. (2020) Covid-19: wider economic impact from air transport collapse. IATA. Retrieved from https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economic-reports/covid-19-wider-economic-impact-from-air-transport-collapse/
[8] Carrington, D. (2020 April 20) Air pollution may be ‘key contributor’ to Covid-19 deaths – study. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-contributor-to-covid-19-deaths-study
[9] McMahon, J. (2020 Mar 16) Study: Coronavirus Lockdown Likely Saved 77,000 Lives In China Just By Reducing Pollution. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2020/03/16/coronavirus-lockdown-may-have-saved-77000-lives-in-china-just-from-pollution-reduction/#2c8cf3c534fe
[10] Interview with Cittadini per l’Aira by email on 08/05/2020 by the author
[11] Idem.