La gentrificación del centro de Guadalajara: Proyectos, conflictos y resistencias

Abstract

Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico, has become an archipelago of gated communities, especially in the periphery, where practically all social strata have moved. Faced with this problem, there is a social need to redensify the city center, which has served to justify real estate speculation processes. The projection of a “Villa Panamericana” in 2011 was a turning point in the gentrification of downtown. A combination of neighborhood opposition and institutional disarray made the project fail, not without some city center areas being affected by expropriations and property destruction. The failed project has now been recycled under the Ciudad Creativa Digital brand, reactivating the fear of expulsion in the residents. Based on qualitative research with more than a dozen neighbors and activists, this work aims to analyze the speeches of some downtown residents, especially concerned about the urban transformations in the heart of Guadalajara. The work focuses on analyzing the civic discourse in defense of the territory, very critical of the institutional discourses that legitimize the urban transformation of this part of the city.