Socio-spatial Fragmentation and Luxury Retail

Abstract

The socio-spatial fragmentation has increased worldwide along with the growth of inequalities, increasing diversity of styles of life and consumption patterns. It is understood as an outcome of processes leading to splintered forms of occupation, new realities in the social realm, and the production and appropriation of space, with enclaves without continuity with the surrounding socio-spatial structures. Fragmentation is often studied from the housing perspective with the rise of gated communities. Besides the enlargement of the concept of these enclaves, it is intended to integrate luxury retail with real estate due to the strong external component both in the supply chain (development process and investment) and in the new demand (tourists and non-permanent residents). These components push new levels of the conflicts and contradictions around the right to the city, with Lisbon as a case study. The central core of the text focuses on changes in the real estate market with the offer of new types of products, mixed-use complexes and gated communities, consumption trends and luxury, and the support provided by public policies to these changes. Looking at the formation of a luxury enclave within the central city of Lisbon, the analysis identifies trends and challenges that require renewal on research and policy answers.