Informal urban regeneration as a way out of the crisis? Airbnb in Athens and its effects on space and society

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of the Airbnb short-term rentals in Athens, against the background of the continuing socio-economic crisis and the substantial rise of urban tourism. The Airbnb practice emerges as a major transformative force of urban space, economy and society, which can be neither utterly condemned nor fully celebrated. The effects of the Airbnb phenomenon are found to be both positive and negative, including – on the one hand – the partial upgrading and reuse of the existing building stock or the reactivation of the local economy and – on the other hand – processes of residential segregation, gentrification and touristification.