Can pedestrianization trigger gentrification? Analysis of Barcelona's sociodemographic changes following pedestrianization schemes
Villar Abeijón, Pablo (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geografia)
Miralles-Guasch, Carme 1961- (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geografia)
Marquet Sardà, Oriol (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Pedestrianization has become a widespread practice in cities promoting active mobility to achieve environmental and social goals. Some voices have, however, raised concerns around potential gentrification effects. This research tries to determine if pedestrianizations in Barcelona from 2012 to 2020 have set off gentrification-like sociodemographic changes. Mapping pedestrianized streets and using longitudinal sociodemographic data, we isolate the effect of pedestrianization on sociodemographic change at a small scale through adjusted Difference-in-Differences and Mixed Models. Results show that pedestrianized areas have experienced a higher-than-expected increase in residents migrating from the Global North and highly educated, and a higher-than-expected decrease in older residents. These changes align with literature's definition of gentrification, positioning pedestrianization schemes as relevant, though not singular, drivers of gentrification. This study advances existing literature by examining the role of pedestrianization in fueling population change and gentrification processes. It examines an understudied trigger of population change and addresses the inadvertent consequences of pedestrianization schemes while contributing to the debate on the social impacts of active mobility policies.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2022-136314OB-I00 "la Caixa" Foundation SR22-00147 European Commission 101117700 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2024/FI-100346
Note:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Gentrification ; Pedestrianization ; Sociodemographic change
Published in:	Transportation research. Part D, Transport and environment, Vol. 142 (May 2025) , art. 104718, ISSN 1879-2340

DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2025.104718

17 p, 9.6 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles