The Case of Tourism in Barcelona
The “Guidebook on Urban Degrowth” explores applying degrowth principles in urban planning to promote social well-being and ecological equity in cities. This thesis develops guidelines to shift from high-consumption economic models to those that emphasize environmental balance and social equity. Focusing on Barcelona, it addresses the challenges of over-tourism, social segregation, and environmental degradation. The study contributes to the degrowth discourse by proposing a methodology to evaluate urban issues and suggesting inclusive strategies that prioritize ecology and social well-being.
CHAPTER 1- DECODING DEGROWTH
How are the current growth models affecting the accelerating environmental crises? Is Degrowth the ecological future we anticipate to decrease accelerating climate catastrophes?
As we continue to grow, resource constraints become more and more obvious (Fu et al., 2015). Some economists believe that achieving climate goals fundamentally requires us to reduce consumption, while others advocate for radically scaling up green economies, which prevents us from utilizing more of Earth’s limited resources.
To understand the concept of Degrowth, it is important to understand the concept of economic growth which is an increase in GDP. It is also perceived as an ideological policy goal, a social process oriented in continuos acceleration in the lifestyle, and a material process resulting in large extraction and accumulation of resources. The idea of treating ‘growth’ in the 21st century involves not only redefining the measure of growth, which is GDP, but also deconstructing growth and problematizing the role it plays in cities today, and integrating the ‘nature degradation’ factor into its measure.
Critiquing economic growth is essential because it often overlooks environmental sustainability and social equity, leading to resource depletion, pollution, and widening social inequalities. Prioritizing GDP growth can result in short-term gains at the expense of long-term ecological health and societal well-being. Critiquing growth opens a curative concept of the sufficiency in consumption, new forms of urban well-being, and a care-oriented economy.
From studying the works of literature on Degrowth, I would define it as “Degrowth is redefining the economic growth focusing on redistribution of the finite resources available, by integrating anti-growth principles as an overarching framework for certain sectors to grow and certain sectors to scale down to achieve sustainability and ecological equity.“
Degrowth is characterized by slow, wise growth and the ecological modernization of capitalism, aimed at sustainably reconfiguring economic systems. It is not synonymous with recession, resource depletion, profit-driven green initiatives, or greenwashing, but rather proposes a transformative approach to sustainable development and economic practices.
CHAPTER 2- DERIVING DEGROWTH METRICS FROM PRINCIPLES
In the current contemporary landscape, marked by an accelerating increase in greenhouse gas emissions and a focus on escalating economic growth, it is essential to identify the economic sectors that need to flourish and the ones that should radically scale down. This understanding is crucial for the path to degrowth. To deduce which of the sectors need to shrink, grow and which subsectors need transformation to degrowth, implies right-sizing of economies on a broader scale. On a sectoral scale, the economic model of each is to be reevaluated based oriented towards degrowth principles integrating sustainable technological solutions to address the accelerating crises to achieve ecological equity and sustainability. (Schmelzer, Vetter, and Vansintjan 2022)
The Planetary Dashboard displays the 24 indicators of the “Great Acceleration,” organized into two distinct sections: “Socio-Economic Trends,” which illustrate the trajectory of human activities, and “Earth-System Trends,” which depict significant alterations in the components of the environment. Significant trends in the Earth’s systems are closely associated with alterations predominantly stemming from the global economic system. Nearly all signs indicate that the most profound changes have taken place since around 1950, which marks the onset of the period commonly referred to as the “Great Acceleration.”
“At the global level, ‘right-sizing’ means reducing the global ecological footprint (including the carbon footprint) to a sustainable level.” (Schmelzer, Vetter, and Vansintjan 2022). In an actual degrowth scenario, the goal would be to scale down ecologically destructive and socially less necessary production (what some might call the exchange-value part of the economy), while protecting and indeed even enhancing parts of the economy that are organized around human well-being and ecological regeneration (the use-value part of the economy). (Hickel 2021)
- Global socio-economic balance refers to equitable distribution of resources and opportunities among different social groups and countries. It mitigates inequality and poverty, fostering global stability and cooperation. Urban developments often exacerbate socio-economic disparities, but implementing equitable policies can foster balanced growth. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by prioritizing social equity over economic expansion.
- The socio-cultural fabric of the city encompasses the social networks, cultural practices, and community interactions within urban areas. Strong socio-cultural fabric promotes social cohesion and resilience. Rapid urbanization can disrupt social structures, but community-centered planning can preserve and strengthen the socio-cultural fabric. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by valuing cultural diversity and social connections over material wealth.
- Global earth system trends balance tracks the equilibrium of global ecological systems, including climate stability, biodiversity, and biogeochemical cycles. Balanced earth system trends ensure planetary health and climate stability. Urbanization impacts climate and ecosystems, necessitating sustainable practices to maintain earth system balance. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by emphasizing ecological balance and limiting resource extraction.
- Emissions of the city refer to greenhouse gases and pollutants released from urban activities. High emissions contribute to global warming and health problems. Urban growth increases emissions, but green infrastructure and policies can mitigate these effects. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by seeking to reduce emissions through environmentally-friendly living and reduced consumption.
- Global biomass measures the total mass of living organisms on Earth. Healthy biomass levels are crucial for ecosystem functioning and carbon sequestration. Urban sprawl reduces biomass, but integrating green spaces can enhance urban biodiversity. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by advocating for the preservation and enhancement of biomass through environmentally-friendly practices.
- Anthropogenic mass is the total mass of human-made materials, such as buildings and infrastructure. Excessive anthropogenic mass contributes to resource depletion and waste. Cities increase anthropogenic mass, but eco-friendly construction can reduce environmental impact. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by encouraging minimizing anthropogenic mass and promoting circular economies.
- Biocapacity is the capacity of ecosystems to produce resources and absorb waste. High biocapacity ensures responsible resource use and waste management. Urbanization strains biocapacity, but green infrastructure can support ecosystem services. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by prioritizing the maintenance and enhancement of biocapacity.
- Resource use measures the consumption of natural resources by humans. Overuse leads to depletion and environmental degradation. Cities are major resource consumers, but eco-conscious practices can minimize their footprint. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by advocating for reduced and efficient resource use.
- The ecological footprint of consumption quantifies the environmental impact of human consumption patterns. High ecological footprints indicate unsustainable resource use. Urban lifestyles often have large ecological footprints, but promoting low-impact living can reduce this. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by seeking to reduce ecological footprints through eco-friendly lifestyles.
- The ecological footprint of production measures the environmental impact of manufacturing and production processes. High footprints indicate overexploitation and pollution. Industrial activities in cities increase footprints, but environmentally-conscious industries can mitigate this. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by supporting eco-friendly production methods.
- An ecological deficit occurs when human demand exceeds the Earth’s regenerative capacity. Persistent deficits lead to resource depletion and environmental crises. Urban areas often have high deficits, but eco-conscious planning can achieve balance. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by aiming to eliminate ecological deficits through reduced consumption.
- Ecological reserve refers to the surplus of biocapacity over ecological footprint. Reserves indicate living within ecological limits. Achieving reserves in cities requires innovative urban design and conservation efforts. Degrowth Metric- It aligns with degrowth by promoting the creation and maintenance of ecological reserves.
The idea of treating ‘growth’ in the 21st century involves not only redefining the measure of growth, which is GDP, but also deconstructing growth and problematizing the role it plays in cities today, and integrating the ‘nature degradation’ factor into its measure. Engaging with these degrowth metrics in urban planning can provide insights into creating balanced, environmentally-conscious urban environments. Converting these metrics into tangible planning tools can guide with resource allocation which can better inform community-focused policies.
CHAPTER 3- DEGROWTH IN URBAN PLANNING
How can the concept of degrowth be incorporated into city planning? “How could a planned contraction be implemented? What should grow and what should degrow?” (Schmelzer, Vetter, and Vansintjan 2022)
The degrowth perspective for urban and regional planners focuses on reorienting planning objectives directly towards enhancing well-being rather than merely pursuing spatial and economic growth. This approach challenges the conventional metrics of development that prioritize GDP growth and urban expansion.
Degrowth as a framework informs a mixed method and multiscalar approach in planning in various scales of interventions that are macro and micro, and some of them are through bottom up and top down approaches. In an actual degrowth scenario, the goal would be to scale down ecologically destructive and socially less necessary production. How can we plan a necessary transition organized around social well-being and ecological regeneration (the use-value part of the economy)?
The below diagram illustrates the framework for integrating degrowth into urban planning. It emphasizes understanding degrowth principles, identifying relevant metrics, applying intervention scales, and focusing on urban economic sectors. Together, these elements guide the development of equitable and ecologically balanced urban environments. Decoding the potentiality of degrowth principles and strategies in urban planning is to apply the general set of observations about degrowth to an economic sector which enbles to understand the possibility and envision the application of degrowth within specific economic sectors, such as tourism.
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Tourism often leads to overconsumption and ecological degradation. By applying degrowth strategies, we can explore sustainable practices, promote local culture, and create balanced economies, offering a model for other sectors to achieve ecological and social equity.
CHAPTER 4- CASE STUDY-TOURISM IN BARCELONA
This section presents a strategic model designed to explore the potential for reorganizing the Tourism Industry aimed at achieving faster ecological transitions. By implementing systemic changes within this industry, we can better align with the broader environmental goals and reinforce the principles of degrowth discussed earlier. Additionally, this section serves as a practical experiment to test the applicability of degrowth strategies in meeting the essential climate goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius for the city of Barcelona. It also highlights how degrowth can significantly contribute to ecological advancements in a variety of other domains.
How can tourist establishments in the city contribute to increasing the production of resources while simultaneously reducing the consumption of resources?
The goal of introducing degrowth in tourism is to identify tourism hotspots which are leading high consumption which indicates there is high resource and energy use in the zones. Objectives include- Increasing Resource Regeneration Zones, Lesser Resource Use to meet 1.5 Degree Target, Enhance Local Social Well-Being, and Promoting Slow Tourism.
The high consumption tourism growth hotspots are identified with the 2 main indicators which are related to the “Tourist Growth Economy” and its associated “Environmental Impacts” in the city scale that helps with further investigation on how its growth economy can be reorganized or redefined. By categorizing the indicators, we can comprehensively identify tourism growth hotspots. These categories allow for a detailed analysis of the multifaceted impacts of tourism on a city, helping to manage and mitigate negative effects while promoting sustainable growth.
Through geospatial data analytics of consumption patterns of the tourism sector what we identify is which of the neighbourhoods would be a high priority for the intervention to provide better insights on policy making of tourism economic sector.
With the activities of tourists, we identify the hotspots for each kind of tourism associated with the tourists and the tourist hotspots categorized based on these 4 main tourism types identified- Culture Oriented Tourism, Mass or Overtourism, Business Oriented Tourism, and Active and Adventure Oriented Tourism.
To calculate the Indices for the geospatial information, the values of the variable are divided by the values over the area of SSCC. Here’s a breakdown of the formula you provided which are associated with the values specific to the neighbourhood for granularity of information.
Index= (Variable/Area of the neighborhood/ SSCC)
The urban consumption correlation coefficient helps understand the relationship between tourism activities and their broader urban and environmental effects. This comprehensive view aids planners in identifying key areas for intervention and sustainable management.
Overall, the Tourist Accommodation Index is a key indicator within urban areas, closely linked to economic performance and resource utilization, and indirectly related to ecological impacts and showing high qualitative index of gentrification. The strong interconnections, especially among economic, tourist-related indices, and resource consumption with its correlation implies that these are potential for the intervention of change in use which is redistributive in nature.
CHAPTER 5- CASE STUDY OF AIRBNB INDUSTRY IN BARCELONA
The integration of degrowth ideologies in urban planning, specifically within the Airbnb industry is further explored in this discussion. Applying degrowth principles to this sector involves transforming the business model which could potentially lead to certain consumption of resources directly. Here’s why we need to rethink Barcelona’s Airbnb! “Around 40 percent of Barcelona’s 16,000 holiday apartments are rented out illegally by sites such as Airbnb, according to figures from the city’s town hall.” (Blanchar 2016) The further slides showcase how Airbnbs are intervening in certain areas of the city in terms of socio-cultural, environmental, political and socio-economic aspects within the city. The city patterns identified with Airbnb presence in Barcelona espeacially in the city centre is further identified which highlights the specific potentiality zones for influencing in further social and ecological transformation.
Highlights of the Presence of Airbnbs
With the spatial understanding of where Airbnb resource consumption zones are distributed, what can be predicted through machine learning models like k means clustering is to identify or predict the zones in the city that have potential for resource regeneration from Airbnb locations.
The Airbnb Market Activity Index measures the density and availability of Airbnb listings in various neighborhoods. It includes metrics such as the count of entire homes, hotel rooms, private and shared rooms, minimum nights, and availability. This index helps identify Airbnb resource consumption zones, indicating areas with high tourism activity and potential impacts on local housing markets and infrastructure. Analyzing these zones can inform policies aimed at balancing tourism benefits with community needs.
The Ecological Deficit Index identifies areas with significant environmental stresses, such as high noise levels, poor air quality, and vulnerability to heat waves. It includes metrics like water and electricity consumption, waste generation, and shopping location counts. This index helps pinpoint potential resource regeneration zones to prioritize ecological restoration efforts.
The Gentrification Index measures the impact of Airbnb on social and economic aspects in neighborhoods, focusing on the socially vulnerable population, rent tax, and gross income. It evaluates metrics like Airbnb pricing, number of reviews, and host listings to understand the extent of gentrification. This index helps identify potential resource regeneration zones, aiming to balance economic benefits with social equity and community well-being.
The clusters allow us to identify three distinct urban landscapes related to Airbnb resource consumption through KMeans clustering. This method highlights the context-specific problem areas, revealing patterns of high, medium, and low resource consumption. The map visualizes these clusters, aiding in targeted policy interventions and strategic planning for resource management.
The urban phenomenon related to Airbnb’s impact on resource consumption and market activity is significantly altering the landscapes of Barcelona. In Ciutadella and Eixample, this effect is particularly evident, with high levels of tourist activity leading to increased ecological deficits and gentrification. Conversely, areas like Zona Franca and Nou Barris are experiencing substantial socio-cultural and ecological deficits, highlighting the uneven distribution of tourism’s impacts across the city.
CHAPTER 6- DEGROWTH VISIONS FOR BARCELONA
How can the business model be transformed to be regenerative through the Airbnb platform by micro-scale strategy implementation to address the city-scale ecological and social problem?
Establishing the key stakeholders and their roles in implementing degrowth strategies within the Airbnb business model for the years between 2024 and 2030.
Goal- 2030 Paris Agreement, a treaty to limit global warming to 1.5°C and decline 43% by 2030
This comprehensive approach demonstrates how interconnected strategies are aimed not just at mitigating the negative impacts of tourism but at fundamentally reshaping it towards a more sustainable and equitable model. This connectivity ensures that each stakeholder, from property owners to local governments and tourists, contributes to and benefits from the sustainable development of tourism.
Green Host Badge
The “Green Host” badge by Airbnb incentivizes hosts to adopt a focus on terrace gardening and food production, focusing on increasing green spaces, local production of food and the use of sustainable materials. It aligns hosts with broader environmental goals, enhancing their appeal to eco-conscious travelers and promoting sustainable urban tourism. This badge integrates environmental stewardship directly into the Airbnb model.
Energy Host Badge
This badge encourages Airbnb hosts to improve energy efficiency within their listings. Awarded to hosts who successfully implement measures such as solar installations and utilize high-efficiency appliances, this badge promotes the adoption of renewable energy sources, aligning with citywide goals to reduce energy consumption and increase the use of clean energy.
Community Host Badge
The Community Host Badge is given to Airbnb hosts who actively participate in and contribute to local community events and other sustainable practices. This includes hosting cultural gatherings, supporting local businesses, and engaging in cooperative initiatives that enhance community resilience and social cohesion.
This diagram presents ambitious targets for reducing environmental impact in Ciutat Vella, Barcelona. It details substantial reductions in tourist CO2 emissions, energy consumption, water usage, and waste generation per capita. These targets are essential components of Barcelona’s degrowth strategy, aiming to transition to sustainable tourism and urban living by significantly lowering resource consumption and ecological impacts.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT!
Tourists
Sustainable Engagement: Actively participates in sustainability programs offered by hosts or local agencies.
Cultural Exchange: Engages in cultural experiences that promote mutual understanding and respect.
Feedback Mechanisms: Provide feedback that helps improve sustainable hosting practices.
Airbnb Properties
Implementation of Sustainable Models: Adopts and applies models for energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
Community Benefits: Contributes to the local economy without overburdening local resources.
Transparency and Reporting: Maintains high levels of transparency about environmental impact and community engagement.
Local Collaboratives
Community-Based Solutions: Focuses on solutions that are rooted in local needs and sustainability goals.
Partnerships and Networking: Engages with various stakeholders to enhance collective impact.
Sustainable Development Goals: Aligns activities with broader sustainable development goals to ensure long-term benefits for the community.
