El privilegio a la ciudad: (dis)locaciones socioespaciales de Airbnb en la Ciudad de México

The impact of digital platforms on the dynamics and spatialities of Mexico City's capital is growing, so the aim of this research is to analyze the presence of Airbnb in Mexico City in order to outline its implications for the production of space and urban subjectivities from a communicational perspective. To achieve this, a theoretical framework is constructed based on the Political Economy of Communication, in order to show the contradictions of this platform within the neoliberal city and how its business model commodifies and privatizes the right to the city, thereby promoting processes such as gentrification. Subsequently, a quantitative methodology with a descriptive and spatial scope is employed; using a database on Airbnb accommodations in Mexico’s capital, the location, its connection with transportation services, and the average rental cost are analyzed. The findings show that the distribution of the 26,582 active accommodations is arbitrary, as 26.44% of these lodgings are concentrated in seven neighborhoods, which have mobility services and low urban marginalization. Thus, these results allow us to suggest that such platforms exploit the right to the city in favor of new residents and at the expense of permanent residents, meaning that public policies are needed to regulate and promote social justice.