Unpacking World Heritage cultural clusters through the interplay of urban tourism and gentrification

Abstract

The impact of urban landscape protection in Spanish World Heritage cities has been studied to reveal how this protection can limit the development of plural cultural expressions. The reshaping of the cultural strategy through WH cultural clusters activates critical perceptions underpinned by a declining local population and aging urban fabric. To address this issue, this research analyses the impact of touristification and gentrification through the perception of stakeholders in Ávila, Cuenca, Salamanca, Segovia and Toledo. This study evaluates the historic centres from an analytical perspective, aiming to ascertain the scope of the direct effect of the pace of gentrification and touristification on urban spaces in demographic, heritage and cultural terms. Three fundamental hypotheses are formulated: (1) depending on the process, gentrification has differentiated or stagnant phases; (2) touristification can mitigate gentrification; (3) there is a discrepancy between urban policy and the socio-cultural reality of the residents. The methodology applied combines personal surveys, public domain data and in-depth interviews with inhabitants of these cities. The results show citizen perceptions and socio-cultural dynamics with potential implications for cultural policy in similar World Heritage cities. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd