This article aims to examine the current interplay between gentrification and extractivist touristification in the historical neighborhood of Lavapiés in Madrid (Spain), which is quite singular in the southern European Spanish urban context. After discussing the often-complex coexistence between gentrification and touristification, this article examines the current state of such interplay in Lavapiés through mixed methods research, combining ethnography and data collection from official statistical sources. The article concludes by suggesting the importance of considering local political contexts in the study of gentrification and touristification in order to avoid overly general comparisons between cities that could lead to a misinterpretation of the transnational scale of the extractivist touristification in central urban areas at a European scale (and beyond).

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Gentrification,Touristification,Urban change,Lavapiés,Madrid

• Sociology - Social Sciences
• Social and Economic Geography - Social Sciences