Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DweLinks (Platform economy through assemblages. The development of short-term rental markets in Athens, Greece and Berlin, Germany.)
Période du rapport: 2020-10-24 au 2022-10-23
RO1: Develop an analytical/ conceptual framework that will enable the capture and delineation of PE networks -and their hard to grasp complexity- from a geographical perspective. RO1 was met by i) the conduct of a detailed desktop research on PE and ongoing methodological attempts to grasp its complexity, ii) a cross-reference and synthesis of the aforementioned literature with urban studies and urban geography specific literature focusing on the emergence and operation of urban networks, iii) the building of an analytical, conceptual and methodological framework for the exploration of platform generated networks around STRs, largely informed by Assemblage Theory and Actor-Network Theory.
RO2: Empirically investigate and delineate the emergence of digitally mediated STR economies in Athens and Berlin. Delineation focused on networks’ a) processes of assemblage making, b) attributes and characteristics, c) impact on local economies. RO2 was met by i) the finalization of interview guides and questionnaires, ii) conducting extensive field research and gathering original empirical data through interviews, along with the purchase and processing of databases concerning the total of Airbnb listings in Athens and Berlin from 2014 to 2020, iii) successfully producing a coherent database of empirical material, which provided nuanced, context-sensitive insights on the emergence and operation of the STR market.
RO3: Comparatively analyze a) the emergence of STR networks and b) policy responses and regulatory frameworks in Athens and Berlin, and formulate policy directions, using the empirical findings (RWP 2) on the development of the STR activity and its articulation in local sites and networks. RO3 was met through bringing together the work carried out as part of RO1 and RO2, into the production of new knowledge and the critical analysis of the emergence and everyday operation of the STR market in Athens and Berlin. More specifically, analysis extended beyond issues that predominate recent debates on STRs in urban studies and geography (e.g. impact on rents, role in processes of transnational gentrification) to bring out vastly underexplored dimensions, such as the broader networks involved in the everyday reproduction of the market, modes of labour involved in the operation of STRs and gendered dimensions of labour.