Which came first, the gentrification or the Airbnb? Identifying spatial patterns of neighbourhood change using Airbnb data

Abstract

Over time, neighbourhoods experience different types of change. Neighbourhood change is a spatiotemporal process that involves analysing how attributes of a location change over time. In this article, we explore the capability of short-term property rental data to identify neighbourhoods where change is occurring. The article focuses on the relationship between data from the Airbnb platform and gentrification. Through a study in Dublin, Ireland, Airbnb data was analysed using state-of-the-art Emerging Hotspot Analysis to identify locations with high potential to experience gentrification and areas that have undergone recent development. The locations identified by the method are correlated with gentrification and neighbourhood change described in other literature. The spatiotemporal approach reveals more about locational changes in the city than other methods, which focus only on one component, such as space or time. The study highlights the importance of access to real estate market data, such as data about the short-term rental market, to extract spatiotemporal changes occurring in neighbourhoods. The results contribute to the discourse on the impacts of short-term rental and Airbnb on cities and can be used by policymakers, observers, and citizens to motivate the distribution of services. The question as to whether gentrification or Airbnb came first remains an open one.