¿Renovación sin gentrificación? Hacia un abordaje crítico de procesos urbanos excluyentes en América Latina. Casos en Buenos Aires

Abstract

During the last decade, a set of urban renewal policies has been taking place in some south-pericentral neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires City, an area historically dismissed by capital investments but also by the State. Based on a critical review of the concept of gentrification, this paper addresses the socio-territorial effects of the Economic Districts policy, focused on the Technological and Art Districts, both located in Comuna 4. The qualitative-quantitative methodology considers four fundamental dynamics: socio-housing structure, appreciation of the real estate and land market, renewal policies and local com-munity networks. Among the results, an increasing real estate and land market appreciation is noted, showing no strong evidence of gentrification in some Districts. However, the socio-housing structure and the absence of “anti-displacement” mechanisms in the current policies allow to confirm the existence of exclusionary urban renewal dynamics, which should be monitored due to future impacts.