数字时代的住房 ： 趋势和影响

CIDOB notes internacionals 245, December 2020

The report discusses the significant impact of technological advancements on social, economic, and political structures, particularly focusing on automation, digitalization, and platformization. Historian David Noble's work on "Forces of Production" is referenced to highlight how technologies evolve within societal contradictions and through socially mediated choices. Over the last decade, technological change has gained political prominence, influencing employment, working conditions, and numerous aspects of daily life. This is exemplified by the recent surge in publications addressing the impact of automation, digitalization, and platformization on various sectors, including the World Economic Forum and the International Labour Organization.

The digitalization of the housing market is a particularly noteworthy area of focus. Short-term rental platforms, such as Airbnb, have blurred the lines between commercial and residential spaces, formal and informal housing, and tourists and tenants. This has resulted in significant effects on local rental markets, including residential displacement and exclusion. The digitalization of housing transactions has expanded the range of technological tools for property management and increased surveillance of tenant microeconomic behavior, raising questions about data access and ownership.

Regulation of the platform economy has become a concern during the COVID-19 crisis, with local governments attempting to manage the potential implications for companies. The report argues that the benefits and costs of technological changes are not predetermined but are actively contested by citizens, workers, governments, and private companies. It concludes that automation, digitalization, and platformization represent the fifth technological revolution of capitalism, characterized by the development of microprocessors and the shift towards a more information-intensive networked model.

The digital paradigm has affected not only the world of work but also other social fields, including housing. The report examines the emergence of new housing practices in urban contexts under this digital paradigm, using short-term rental platforms as a primary example. The rise of these platforms has been most intense between 2011 and 2014, leading to significant impacts on urban housing markets, particularly concerning local housing costs, neighborhood composition, and regulatory frameworks.

The Barri Gotic in Barcelona serves as an illustrative case, where demographic pressure from tourist flows has nearly equated the supply of tourist lodging with that of actual residents. The report highlights the effect of Airbnb listings on local housing markets, finding that a 1% increase in the number of properties listed on the platform leads to a 0.018% increase in rents and a 0.026% increase in house prices. This dynamic is most pronounced in neighborhoods with high shares of market-rate tenants and intense tourist activity.