A disappearing world

Porto's historic centre faces a paradoxical duality, serving as both the city's primary tourist attraction and one of its most degraded and impoverished areas. This contradiction arises from urban renewal policies that aim to revitalize the downtown area for younger, more qualified residents, while simultaneously attracting tourists. The study highlights Neil Smith's influential work on gentrification, which framed research on Porto's urban and social transformations in the early 2000s. It demonstrates how state action shifted towards a 'Back to Downtown Porto' movement, reflecting broader global strategies of urban renewal. The research empirically illustrates these changes, providing insights into the complex dynamics of urban development and social inequality.

Queirós, J. (2017). A disappearing world. Gentrification as a Global Strategy, 197–209. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315307510-17