Foreigners as gentrifiers and tourists in a Mexican historic district

Transnational gentrification has become a key element of urban and sociocultural transformations in several Latin American countries. New urban policies and transnational real estate markets adapt the city in order to respond to the expectations of transnational middle classes. This paper explores the case of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Methodologically, it adopts a qualitative approach and analyses two of the most important manifestations of transnational gentrification: lifestyle migration and luxury tourism. Historical files on protected buildings in San Miguel de Allende’s historic centre were used to observe functional alterations. This is supplemented with other statistical data (including the spatial pattern of Airbnb rentals) and direct observations of public spaces. I propose that transnational gentrification leads to a heritage-led transnationalisation of real estate, evidenced by luxury housing, boutique hotels, art galleries and other high culture spaces that cater to higher-income lifestyle migrants and tourists. As a result, the new class of owners and users changes the place’s identity, which has implications for lower-income groups’ right to the city. The process in San Miguel de Allende is analogous to processes in cities such as London, New York or Paris, where notions of heritage urbanism have also helped transnationalise local real estate markets. However, it also evinces other processes that are more difficult to appreciate in the Global North (growing rent gaps, real estate companies’ aggressive pursuit of gentrification and deep historical inequalities that are exacerbated by heritage-led gentrification). 跨国绅士化已经成为几个拉丁美洲国家城市和社会文化变革的一个关键因素。新的城市政策和跨国房地产市场使城市适应跨国中产阶级的期望。本文探讨了墨西哥圣米格尔德阿连德（San Miguel de Allende）的案例。在方法上，本文采用定性方法，分析了跨国绅士化的两个最重要的表现形式：生活方式迁移和奢华旅游。圣米格尔德阿连德历史中心受保护建筑的历史档案被用来观察功能的改变。此外还有其他统计数据（包括爱彼迎租赁的空间规律）和对公共空间的直接观察。我认为，跨国绅士化导致文化遗产主导的房地产跨国化，豪华住宅、精品酒店、美术馆和其他迎合高收入生活方式移民和游客的高文化空间就是明证。结果，新的所有者和使用者阶层改变了地方的身份，从而影响低收入群体对城市的权利。圣米格尔德阿连德的过程类似于伦敦、纽约或巴黎等城市的过程，在这些城市，文化遗产城市化的理念推动了当地房地产市场的跨国化。然而，本文还显示了在全球北方更难以理解的其他过程，例如租金差距日益扩大，房地产公司积极追求绅士化，以及历史上根深蒂固的不平等因文化遗产主导的绅士化而加剧。