Airbnb as a global factor that triggers off gentrification: The case of Kadikoy Rasimpasa Neighborhood

Urban tourism sector, which has developed paralel to neoliberal urban policies, both in 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 has become popular over the last five years. This study aims to explore the relationship between houses/rooms rented through the AirBnb system gentrification based on the field work conducted in the Kadıköy Rasimpaşa Neighborhood. In the study, it is claimed that AirBnb, which is based on the model of sharing economy, offers a new job and capital accumulation opportunity for investors, tourism companies and households. On the other hand, the growth in the use of AirBnb system leads to direct and indirect displacement of the long-term residents in addition to the gentrification of cities. In the study, mixed research methods have been used. First, quantitative data was obtained from the data system at airdna.com, insideairbnb.com and sahibindex.com. In addition to a survey that was conducted with 90 people and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants in the neighborhood. The data from the field work shows that the number of young people and student population in the neighborhood has increased substantially paralel to the number of rooms/houses rented through Airbnb in the last five years. In addition, the unit price (m2) increase in Rasimpaşa Neighborhood has become prominent among the other neighborhood of Kadıköy. On the other hand, the increasing number of cafes and restaurants leads to a continuous decrease in the number of shops that meet the daily necessities of local people and the neighborhood is gradually transforming into a place for tourists and short-term tenants. As a result long-term tenants and local people are being displaced directly or indirectly and the process of gentrification is becoming apparent. In this context revealing the effects of platforms such as Airbnb on urban space and local communities in the digitalizing world as well as the different dynamics of the gentrification process have been considered to be important. Keywords: Globalization, Airbnb, gentrification, displacement, urban tourism