Global Change in Lavapiés Neighborhood

Gentrification is the process by which a place, especially part of a city, changes from being a poor area to a richer one, where people from a higher social class live.

The neighborhood has undergone a radical demographic change over the past four decades. From a traditional and "castizo" neighborhood with a very old population, it has become a neighborhood that receives migrants from Africa, Asia and America.

The massive arrival of these migrants has turned Lavapies into a multicultural area. In this neighborhood live people from more than 70 nationalities. This can be seen very well walking through its streets and in the variety of stores that exist, where traditional stores are combined with stores that offer more exotic products that are not found in other neighborhoods of Madrid.

Lavapiés is home to a multitude of historic buildings, cultural centers and museums, such as the Reina Sofia Museum of Art, the Spanish Film Library (Doré Cinema), the Casa Encendida, the Tabacalera self-managed Social Center, the National Dramatic Center, the Conservatory of Music, etc.

There are different socio-cultural spaces promoted by associations and neighbors, which carry out many cultural and educational activities.

The proximity to the center of Madrid and the fact that it is very well connected by public transport has led to an increase in the number of tourist apartments.

The neighborhood is characterized by the diversity of its stores, bars and restaurants. In recent years, a large number of handicraft stores and shops selling Arab, Hindustani and African products have appeared, with the small traditional stores almost completely disappearing. There have also appeared small bookstores where you can have a chat or a coffee and small theatrical spaces. As for restaurants, we find old establishments along with those that offer food from Africa, Asia and to a lesser extent, America.

This map show people collecting data from Lavapiés

Project website:  https://v-global.eu