Impact of Airbnb on the Gentrification Process: The Case of Rasimpaþa Neighborhood in Kadýköy

The urban tourism sector, which has developed in parallel with neoliberal urban policies in both developed and developing countries, is one of the fastest growing service sectors in the world. For this reason, demand for accommodation in urban centers has also increased. Airbnb, a popular web application, is one of the tourist accommodation options that have become popular over the last 5 years. This study explored the relationship between houses/rooms rented through the Airbnb system and gentrification, based on field work conducted in the Rasimpaþa neighborhood of Kadýköy. Airbnb offers a new business and capital accumulation opportunity to homeowners, tourism companies, and investors, but it is alleged that the growth of Airbnb has also led to long-term inhabitants being indirectly displaced and further gentrification. Mixed research methods were used in this study. First, quantitative data was obtained from the data system at airdna.com, insideairbnb.com, and sahibindex.com. A survey of 90 people was also performed, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants in the neighborhood. The data from the field work revealed that the number of young people and the student population in the neighborhood have increased substantially, in parallel with the number of rooms/houses rented through Airbnb in the last 5 years. In addition, the unit price (m2) increase in the Rasimpaþa neighborhood has grown in comparison with other neighborhoods in Kadýköy. The increasing number of cafes and restaurants has contributed to a continuous decrease in the number of shops that meet the daily needs of local residents, and the neighborhood is gradually transforming into a place for tourists and short-term tenants. As a result, long-term residents and other local people are being indirectly displaced and the process of gentrification is becoming apparent. It is important to examine the effects of platforms such as Airbnb on urban spaces and local communities in a world becoming increasingly digitalized, as well as the various dynamics of the gentrification process.

Airbnb’nin Soylulaþma Sürecine Etkisi: Kadýköy Rasimpaþa Mahallesi Örneði

Gerek geliþmiþ ülkeler, gerekse geliþmekte olan ülkelerde, neoliberal kentsel politikalar doðrultusunda geliþen kentsel turizm sektörü, dünya genelinde en hýzlý geliþen hizmet sektörlerinden biridir. Bu nedenle, kent merkezlerindeki konaklama alanlarýna olan talep de artmýþtýr. Özellikle son beþ yýldýr popülerleþen Airbnb, turistlerin konaklama seçeneklerinden biridir. Bu çalýþma, Airbnb aracýlýðý ile kiralanan evlerin soylulaþma ile olan iliþkisini Kadýköy Rasimpaþa Mahallesi’nde gerçekleþtirilen saha araþtýrmasý ile keþfetmeyi amaçlamaktadýr. Çalýþmada, Airbnb’nin, yatýrýmcýlar, turizm þirketleri ve evini kiraya veren ev sahipleri için yeni bir iþ ve birikim fýrsatý sunduðu; ancak Airbnb kullanýmýndaki büyümenin, uzun vadeli sakinlerin dolaylý olarak yerinden edilmesine ve kentlerin soylulaþmasýna yol açtýðý iddia edilmektedir. Çalýþmada karma araþtýrma yöntemleri kullanýlmýþtýr. Öncelikle airdna.com, insideairbnb.com ve sahibindex.com’daki veri sisteminden Airbnb arzý ve yýllar içindeki deðiþimi, yýllara göre kiralýk konut m2 birim fiyat deðiþimi gibi niceliksel veriler elde edilmiþtir. Bunun yanýnda, Rasimpaþa Mahallesi’nde 90 kiþi ile bir anket çalýþmasý, 10 kiþi ile derinlemesine görüþme yapýlmýþtýr. Saha çalýþmasýndan elde edilen veriler, mahallede genç ve öðrenci nüfusunun (özellikle Erasmus öðrencisi) giderek yoðunlaþtýðýný ve Airbnb ile kiralanan oda veya ev sayýsýnýn son beþ yýlda önemli ölçüde arttýðýný göstermektedir. Ayrýca, Rasimpaþa Mahallesi’ndeki kiralýk konut m2 birim fiyat artýþý, Kadýköy’ün diðer ilçeleri arasýnda öne çýkmaktadýr. Öte yandan sayýlarý gittikçe artan kafe ve restorantlar, yerel halkýn gündelik ihtiyaçlarýný karþýladýklarý dükkanlarýn sayýsýnýn her geçen gün azalmasýna ve mahallenin turistler ve kýsa dönem kiracýlar için düzenlenen bir alan hâline gelmesine neden olmaktadýr. Sonuç olarak uzun vadeli kiracýlar ve yerel halk dolaylý olarak yerinden edilmekte ve bir soylulaþma süreci baþlamaktadýr. Bu baðlamda, dijitalleþen dünyada Airbnb gibi platformlarýn kent mekâný ve yerel topluluklar üzerine etkisi ile soylulaþma sürecinin farklý dinamiklerini ampirik veriler ile ortaya koymak önemli görülmüþtür.