Packaging Oporto: hypercommodification of its city centre?

Oporto's historic city centre, including the UNESCO-listed Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar, has undergone rapid socio-economic transformation driven by tourism, leading to hypercommodification and gentrification. This study reveals how city officials leveraged tourism to regenerate the area while exacerbating housing market pressures, reducing accessibility for locals and newcomers. The research, based on PhD thesis data (2008-2012) and updated in 2019, employed non-intrusive space observation and qualitative analysis of interviews and documents. It highlights a global trend where historic centres face the challenge of balancing heritage preservation with socio-economic transformation, raising questions about sustainable urban development in metropolitan areas.

Guinand, S. (2020). Packaging Oporto: hypercommodification of its city centre? A Research Agenda for Heritage Tourism. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789903522.00015