Socio-spatial transformations on the border of the tourist city: the difficult permanence of industrial spaces in the historic center

Abstract

This article develops an analysis of the role of productive spaces in historic districts of Western cities, and the contradictions they face today. To this end, a distinction is made between deindustrialization–the result of the restructuring of the global economy– and industrial displacement–the consequence of real estate speculation–and its facilitation with gentrification-led, and more recently tourism-oriented, urban policies. The process of dismantling of the productive spaces in the Seville’s historic district northern quarters over recent decades is studied. The methodology is based on planning analysis and interviews with current and displaced users, along with the process of mapping its activities. The ambivalent role of the administration is unveiled, pointing to its active role in transforming these spaces and in displacing most of the manual workers to the periphery.