Malaga Research Articles

Home sharing or crime sharing? Evidences of the relationship between Airbnb, crime and structural factors in Malaga, Spain

ABSTRACT Negative externalities stemming from overtourism have been widely reported in the literature. However, a consequence less explored in scientific research is the increase in crime rates derived from high levels of tourism. This article analyses the relationship between the concentration of Airbnb accommodation and crime density in the city of Malaga (Spain); both the social disorganization and the routine activities theories are used as the theoretical basis. The region under study has been defined by removing the non-urbanized part of the city and the unit of spatial analysis is the census tract. The relationship between Airbnb and crime has been measured by controlling for other factors traditionally related to crime. Two models that take into account the spatial nature of the data have been employed: a two-stage spatially weighted spatial least squares model and a geographically weighted regression model. Results show that Airbnb is significantly related to an increase in crime density in the census tract, as is the proportion of people born in countries with a Human Development Index below .825. Nightlife likewise shows a significant relationship with crime in the city, but this relationship is inverse. Nevertheless, the variable that shows the strongest link is crime itself in neighboring census tracts. An increase in crime in a given region leads to an increase in crime in the surrounding census tracts. However, the local model reveals that the impact of crime in adjacent units is not related in the same way to local crime in region analyzed as a whole. The policy implications of these results and other findings contrary to the original criminological theories are discussed.

Natural environments of the city for sport activity: Case study of Malaga (Spain)

Previous studies support the direct relationship between outdoor physical activity and natural spaces in cities. The Active City and Nature concept explores the relationship between urban, green and active environments; it aims to demonstrate the scientific evidence for the need for action to be taken to increase participation in active living and sport, leading to healthier cities and communities. Our research seeks to analyse the city’s natural spaces as scenarios to encourage physical activity and sport, through a combined study of qualitative research techniques: the use of a digital webGIS platform, collaborative maps made by citizens, and surveys conducted with citizens and the local government. This methodology has been tested in the city of Malaga, the European City of Sport 2020. The study of the city’s main sport areas, the waterfront and natural green spaces provided data on the types of physical activity taking place in each of these areas and the physical activity needs of citizens. This research argues that it is important to know the criteria of local communities for physical activity and/or sport in natural environments, as well as the main demands expressed. This will provide valuable information to design and manage natural public spaces as a means of promoting physical activity and healthy habits.

A Study on Anomie and Neoliberalism: The Role of Social Disconnection on Well-Being

This study analyses whether the levels of anomie and social disconnection as consequences of the perceived implementation of neoliberal economic measures have a negative influence on the well-being of individuals. The study sample consisted of 334 Spanish participants residing in the city and province of Malaga, Spain (201 women and 133 men). The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 80 years (M = 33.22, SD = 15.35). The results obtained in our research showed that anomie and social disconnection exert a serial mediation on the relationship between perceived neoliberalism and well-being. It was obtained that perceived neoliberalism had a positive effect on anomie and that anomie had a positive effect on social disengagement, while pointing to social disengagement having a negative effect on well-being. The results are interpreted from the perspective of social identity, assuming that a society as being in a state of anomie fails to satisfy important psychological needs. This anomie causes individuals to perceive themselves as more disconnected, and as such not benefiting from the potential positive effects of group membership and social identification.

Navigating the city: gendered work experiences in urban spaces

ABSTRACT Women around the world experience much higher levels of fear of crime, profoundly impacting their perceptions of safety and influencing their interactions with public spaces. This fear prompts women to alter their behaviour, such as avoiding specific urban areas and public transport, especially after dark. While many amend their habits and limit their exposure to public spaces due to the fear of crime, what happens to those women for whom the urban space is also their workplace and whose work occurs solely in public spaces? This article focuses on women whose work demands engagement with public spaces, exploring the experiences of women drivers in male-dominated sectors such as taxi and platform-based (Uber and Cabify) services in the city of Malaga, Spain. Drawing on 35 semi-structured interviews, the article explores their experiences as mobile workers navigating urban spaces and their dual role in the dynamics of violence: as the receiver of violence and sexual harassment from clients and colleagues, and simultaneously acting as protectors for their women clients, ensuring their safety in public spaces. Rather than understanding women as passive victims, the article explores how women deploy a sense of agency in creating strategies that help them navigate these challenges. While some responses involve self-censorship to mitigate potential dangers, others defy gender by not conforming to the cultural norms of traditional femininity. Through these processes, women survive, challenge, and resist violence, and move from the sense that ‘this city is not for me’ to developing a higher sense of power.

Migration Causes and Challenges at the European Border in North Africa: A Practitioner-Based Grounded Theory

ABSTRACT This investigation took place in Melilla, a European city in North Africa, and in the neighboring cities of Granada and Malaga, on the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain. As well as exploring an under-researched geographical area, the article also focuses on an under-researched group in the field of migration: first-line practitioners. Grounded theory research was conducted to develop a working model of practitioners’ perspectives surrounding causes of migration, and related challenges, at (and through) the European Union-Moroccan border. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather qualitative data from 19 first-line practitioners. Their perspectives suggested a complex set of causes underlying migration at an economic, individual, community, national, and geopolitical level. They also identified eight central risks, and challenges, for the migrant population during their journey to (and process of establishing their lives in) Europe. To reduce such risks, practitioners emphasized the need for safe migratory routes, quick institutional responses in the presence of unexpected phenomena (such as COVID-19), promoting and educating for empathy, and the development of more interregional solidarity on a national, European and international level. The paper concludes reflecting on the importance of these proposed responses in “out-of-place” European territories such as the city of Melilla.

The pitfalls of near-mergers: A sociophonetic approach to near-demergers in the Malaga /θ/ vs /s/ split

Abstract The near-merger hypothesis has served to explain many situations where other explanations have not sufficed, including mainly those where apparently completed mergers have been reversed. However, the situation in the city of Malaga (Spain) calls for a critical review of the main pitfalls of this hypothesis and for a sociolinguistic reorganisation of sound change to allow for near-demergers. The present work focusses on the reversal of the coronal fricative /θ/ and /s/ merger (Casa ‘house’ = Caza ‘hunting’) that has been widely observed in Malaga. Acoustic-perceptual analysis of the realisations of 54 speakers reveals that a completed phonological merger can, in fact, revert and that acoustic cues do not necessarily indicate a near-merger.

Integrating Citizens’ Avatars in Urban Digital Twins

Urban Digital Twins (UDT) represent a powerful tool to effectively make cities smart. Generally, UDTs are linked with other Digital Twins to build ecosystems where the citizen is at the heart of the ecosystem. This is why citizens should be considered first-class entities in the UDTs. At the same time, citizens’ privacy cannot be compromised. In this paper, we propose to integrate citizens’ digital twin in UDTs through their digital avatars (DAs). DAs allow exploiting citizens’ information, behavioral habits and personal preferences, while allowing them to have full control of their own data. We present our architecture that makes use of the Cloud-to-Thing Continuum to optimize available processing resources. We focus on a case study of the public transport service of the city of Malaga (Spain) and describe how we are approaching its implementation. Finally, we validate such UDT implementation through tests that evaluate its accuracy and the factors affecting its performance.

Overview of Second Chance Schools in the Province of Malaga (Spain): A case Study

The rate of early school leavers (ESL) in Andalusia is relatively high, reaching 21.8% in 2020. This will condition the employability of specific population sectors and, to some extent, other exclusionary dynamics. Second Chance Schools (E20) are proposed as an educational alternative for those who have dropped out of school early.
 In this paper, we will analyze the profile of E20 users in the Malaga province and their motivations and expectations. We found that the majority of the participants in the Second Chance School programs in the province of Malaga are Spanish women aged 16-22 years old and living in Malaga City.
 The average drop-out age is 16 years old, and the main reason is demotivation and disinterest (29.5%, followed by family reasons (25.3%). The primary motivation for returning to studies is "self-improvement." The level of satisfaction of the participants is relatively high and has a very positive effect on other areas of life.

Intangible cultural heritage as a tool for urban and social regeneration in neighbourhoods. Participatory process to identify and safeguard ICH in the city of Malaga, Spain

ABSTRACT Not only the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but also researchers have called for the involvement of local communities in the management of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the last decade. Despite awareness of this need for local involvement, there is no consensus regarding common criteria and implementation methods, especially in the case of small urban neighbourhoods. This research seeks to fill that gap by exploring different participatory actions with local communities in the neighbourhoods to identify and inventory their ICH. A participatory process was conducted in the Fontanalla neighbourhood of the city of Malaga and included expert opinions and local knowledge. Informal interviews, observational works and participatory actions were used to collect extensive data, which was then categorised and analysed. The results allowed the singularities and traditions to be recognised as part of their ICH. An ICH inventory is proposed with the involvement of the local community. The results from collected data and the suggested methodology to activate ICH participatory processes are expected to be useful for researchers and practitioners working on Intangible Cultural Heritage as well as Urban Regeneration in cities.

Comparative aerobiological study between two stations located at different points in a coastal city in Southern Spain

Due to the increase in allergies, aerobiological studies carried out in cities are essential to keep the population informed about the pollen atmospheric concentrations detected. However, the high cost and complexity of aerobiological studies often mean that the information is generated from a single sampling point that may not be representative of the entire city. In this study, the data obtained by two volumetric pollen traps, located in the coastal city of Malaga (Spain) were analyzed. One of the pollen traps was situated in the city center while the other was located on the city outskirts, 5 km away from the first. This was complemented with a meteorological and land use analysis to determine their influence on the pollen concentrations. Despite being located within the same city, the data obtained from both collectors showed significant differences in the relative abundance and annual integrals of the main pollen types, as well as in the periods in which elapse their main pollen seasons. These differences were more notable in the case of Amaranthaceae, Casuarina, Parietaria and Plantago pollen types due to the asymmetric distribution of green areas, agro-forestry areas and urban surfaces within the city, as well as the influence of local wind dynamics on the airborne pollen detected. Despite that, some differences were also observed in the other pollen types. For all the above, we consider that it is important to keep operational several sampling points in cities of a certain magnitude to provide more detailed information about atmospheric pollen concentrations.

Touristification and Conflicts of Interest in Cruise Destinations: The Case of Main Cultural Tourism Cities on the Spanish Mediterranean Coast

Tourist demands and the ensuing commodification of habitability in cities have led to the emergence of resistance movements. This study aims to define patterns in touristified cities by measuring the presence of citizen initiatives, together with tourism intensification and related socio-demographic variables. All the indicators have been tested in the Mediterranean port cities of Barcelona and Malaga as they lead the cultural offer. Both municipalities have been analysed at census-section level and show a common urban pattern: the Airbnb offer has spread out in the old town in direct competition with traditional accommodation and replacing long-term rentals. Statistical analysis reveals a significant correlation among citizen initiatives with tourism services, which are the driver mechanisms behind the movements. Cluster maps show a clear centre-periphery pattern according to the tourism intensification set with high coefficient values for tourist accommodation. Bivariate spatial autocorrelation indicates that protest movements emerge in tourism specialisation areas with a high concentration of tourist facilities. Monitoring the proposed indicator system over time may serve as a basis for local administrations to promote new urban policies dealing with overtourism. Future research may redefine and include new variables, test other tourist destinations and consider a smaller non-administrative territorial unit of analysis.

Risk of psychiatric readmission in the homeless population: A 10-year follow-up study.

Homelessness continues to be a major social and clinical problem. The homeless population has a higher burden of disease that includes psychiatric disorders. In addition, they have a lower use of ambulatory health services and a higher use of acute care. Few investigations analyze the use of services of this population group in the long term. We analyzed the risk of psychiatric readmission of homeless individuals through survival analysis. All admissions to a mental health hospitalization unit in the city of Malaga, Spain, from 1999 to 2005, have been analyzed. Three analyses were carried out: two intermediate analyses at 30 days and 1 year after starting follow-up; and one final analysis at 10 years. In all cases, the event was readmission to the hospitalization unit. The adjusted Hazard Ratio at 30 days, 1-year, and 10-year follow-ups were 1.387 (p = 0.027), 1.015 (p = 0.890), and 0.826 (p = 0.043), respectively. We have found an increased risk of readmission for the homeless population at 30 days and a decreased risk of readmission at 10 years. We hypothesize that this lower risk of long-term readmission may be due to the high mobility of the homeless population, its low degree of adherence to long-term mental health services, and its high mortality rate. We suggest that time-critical intervention programs in the short term could decrease the high rate of early readmission of the homeless population, and long-term interventions could link them with services and avoid its dispersion and abandonment.

Learning About the Incidence and Lethality of COVID-19 in Vulnerable Neighborhoods: The Case of Malaga (Spain)

This research delves into the need to use granular analyses at the neighborhood level to study the preexisting conditions of vulnerability that best explain the waves of COVID-19 incidence and mortality. It seems most appropriate to use the comprehensive approach of the sustainable development with variables that analyze the economic, social, environmental, and governance dimensions, given the extensive literature that identifies each as a determining factor for the impact of disease. The work utilizes a composite vulnerability index that allows the city of Malaga to be divided into 434 census sections; waves of incidence and mortality for each section are constructed for the period of March 2020 to March 2021. Cluster analysis reveals that there are five different cluster incidence patterns, whereas the lethality waves are found to behave as a hot-spot phenomenon. The results reveal that neighborhoods that are the most vulnerable in terms of their demographic conditions (large proportion over 65 years of age and dependent) and socioeconomic conditions (severe material deprivation), have been the most affected by COVID-19 infection and mortality.

Analysing the acceptance of autonomous buses in real-life traffic environments: pilot project with tourists in Malaga, Spain

ABSTRACT Despite the significant technological progress with Autonomous Buses (ABs), there is still a limited understanding how users perceive and experience large, mass transit ABs in real-life traffic environments. This paper follows a pilot project on AB use by tourists in the city of Malaga, Spain. Discrete choice analysis was employed to study their willingness to use the AB and the passengers’ actual satisfaction on board the AB. The obtained results reveal higher willingness levels to adopt ABs among individuals more open to new technologies and more environmentally conscious. Higher levels of satisfaction on board are reported by older passengers, women, employed, private vehicle users, and people with environmental consciousness and openness to new technologies. Finally, the research discusses how socio-demographics and personality-related barriers affect the further implementation of autonomous mobility in public transportation systems, adding new reflections on the capacity of ABs to support or even replace conventional buses.

SMART MULTI-FUNCTIONAL MICRO-HUB FOR NEIGHBORHOODS: SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION INHIGH-DENSITY SOCIAL NEIGHBORHOODS

Introduction: Outdoor parking lots have been a common and cost-effective solution for private mobility in European social housing districts built between the 1960s and 1980s, but this solution has significant, particularly environmental and spatial, impacts. The future of urban mobility requires changes to an electrified community model, based on shared vehicle fleets. Purpose of the study: We aimed to analyze the transport, social, and environmental improvements of a smart multi-functional micro-hub for neighborhoods — a theoretical proposal designed to facilitate the transition toward a decarbonized city. Methods: The literature is therefore reviewed and a case study of the city of Malaga is provided. Results: On the one hand, the findings show the environmental, economic, and spatial advantages of this model compared to traditional underground parking lots. On the other hand, the paper proposes the design characteristics that could be adopted by a particular type of buildings and their urban space. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of setting up a citywide network of micro-hubs and the ensuing benefits.

The Industrial Heritage of the City of Malaga: Analysis of Its Current Situation and Support for Its Activation as a Resource for Urban Development

This article forms part of the debate regarding the relevance of using industrial heritage as an engine for territorial and urban development. It begins by studying the concept of industrial heritage and recognition of the same as cultural heritage and, subsequently, using the city of Malaga as a case study, analyses the industrialisation process that the city experienced from the 19th to the end of the 20th century and the current state of conservation of its built industrial heritage. It also undertakes a study of the specific instruments, for the most part strategic planning, that have been implemented as a means to incorporate cultural heritage as an asset for a new urban model for the city in an effort to understand how these instruments envisage the revitalisation and recovery of industrial heritage. The study concludes that this heritage, despite constituting one of the city’s principal hallmarks, has received only partial and biased attention in terms of the numerous urban reclassification projects that have been undertaken, and has yet to find its role in the new urban model. This raises the need to revitalise these heritage resources in an effort to encourage fairer, more equitable urban and economic development processes that contemplate the reasonable use of the industrial heritage that constitutes the bedrock of the city’s identity.

Tempo-Spatial Modelling of the Spread of COVID-19 in Urban Spaces.

The relationship between the social structure of urban spaces and the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming increasingly evident. Analyzing the socio-spatial structure in relation to cases may be one of the keys to explaining the ways in which this contagious disease and its variants spread. The aim of this study is to propose a set of variables selected from the social context and the spatial structure and to evaluate the temporal spread of infections and their different degrees of intensity according to social areas. We define a model to represent the relationship between the socio-spatial structure of the urban space and the spatial distribution of pandemic cases. We draw on the theory of social area analysis and apply multivariate analysis techniques to check the results in the urban space of the city of Malaga (Spain). The proposed model should be considered capable of explaining the functioning of the relationships between societal structure, socio-spatial segregation, and the spread of the pandemic. In this paper, the study of the origins and consequences of COVID-19 from different scientific perspectives is considered a necessary approach to understanding this phenomenon. The personal and social consequences of the pandemic have been exceptional and have changed many aspects of social life in urban spaces, where it has also had a greater impact. We propose a geostatistical analysis model that can explain the functioning of the relationships between societal structure, socio-spatial segregation, and the temporal evolution of the pandemic. Rather than an aprioristic theory, this paper is a study by the authors to interpret the disparity in the spread of the pandemic as shown by the infection data.

Potential of the microalgae Chlorella fusca (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) for biomass production and urban wastewater phycoremediation

The present work focuses on: (1) the evaluation of the potential of Chlorella fusca to grow and synthesize metabolites of biotechnological interest, after being exposed for fourteen days to urban wastewater (UW) from Malaga city (UW concentrations: 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%); (2) the study of the capacity of C. fusca to bioremediate UW in photobioreactors at laboratory scale; and (3) the evaluation of the effect of UW on the physiological status of C. fusca, as photosynthetic capacity by using in vivo Chl a fluorescence related to photosystem II and the production of photosynthetic pigments. C. fusca cell density increased in treatments with 50% UW concentration, followed by the treatment with 100% UW, 75% UW, the control, and finally 25% UW. Protein content increased to 50.5% in 75% UW concentration. Stress induced to microalgal cultures favored the increase of lipid production, reaching a maximum of 16.7% in 100% UW concentration. The biological oxygen demand (BOD5) analysis indicated a 75% decrease in 100% UW concentration. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels decreased by 41% and 40% in 50% UW and 100% UW concentration, and total nitrogen (TN) decreased by 55% in 50% UW concentration. The physiological status showed the stressful effect caused by the presence of UW on photosynthetic activity, with increasing impact as UW concentration grew. In the framework of circular economy, we seek to deepen this study to use the biomass of C. fusca to obtain metabolites of interest for biofuel production and other biotechnological areas.Graphical

Town design and town communications in the process of image creation of Wroclaw and Malaga

Creating a positive image is one of the most important activities undertaken not only by enterprises, but also by territorial units. Cities and regions can see the need to create and maintain a good image as an important factor of competitive advantage facilitating opportunities for dynamic development. Nowadays, the most active in this respect are large urban centers which are managed in a creative way, and a good image, which is their most important intangible asset, definitely facilitates competition in increasingly demanding markets. The paper aims to present activities within town design and town communications, which, apart from town behavior, belong to the basic components of the process of creating the image of modern cities. One of the qualitative methods, which is a case study, was applied due to the possibility of making comprehensive comparisons based on the information identified. The examples of two culturally distant cities were used, namely the Polish city of Wroclaw and the Spanish city of Malaga, which, in many areas of creating their image, carry out similar activities. In both cities, the commercialization of city symbols is visible at the expense of historical and cultural aspects. The communication with stakeholders is similar, in which interactive techniques dominate, and particular activity manifests itself in social media and in the development of urban applications that perform both information and entertainment functions.

Evaluation and Psychoeducational Intervention of Learning Disabilities: A Case Study

Learning Disabilities are one of the most frequent deficits in the teaching and learning process, present between 5 and 15% of the students. Various definitions have been made, such as DSM 5, ICD-11, or other more psychoeducational definitions. The main problem is the unexpected difficulties in learning how to read or write despite having a medium intellectual capacity. Deficits can be found in: cognitive variables, visual perceptual processing, phonological processing, semantic processing, and morphosyntactic processing. The purpose of this paper is to identify the reading and writing learning disabilities of a Spanish-speaking subject. The methodology is a single case study, which is examined of a 7-year-old boy enrolled in the second year of Primary Education at a grant-maintained school in the city of Malaga (Spain). A psychoeducational evaluation proposal is described with different qualitative and quantitative techniques. The results indicate that the subject presents difficulties in his acquisition of Reading and Writing skills, showing signs of cognitive deficits in memory, attention, processing speed, visual and phonological processing, and difficulties in reading and writing. Finally, a proposal for psychoeducational intervention is described, which would be useful in promoting learning and improving the pupil's academic performance. The research shows the relevance of the global evaluation of cognitive and psycho-linguistic variables and the need to establish an early diagnosis. It is also necessary to highlight the relevance of early intervention and the establishment of clear educational guidelines towards the teacher and the family. The main limitations are determined from the single case study and the possible limitations of validity and generalizability of this study to other languages.