“A hipster thing”. Tourism, consumption and markets of symbolic accumulation in Madrid and Barcelona
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Abstract
Tourism has become a fundamental element in restructuring the economy of many cities in the Capitalist West. This urban renaissance has also come together with a neo-liberal outsourcing of its productive systems. As a dynamic phenomenon, tourism has not come alone, but accompanied, on a large number of occasions, by profound physical and symbolic transformations: urban projects, cultural policies, celebrations and hosting of mega-events, etc. In this way, the metamorphosis of the urban space, as well as the aestheticization of its structure, are the consequence of the dynamic role of tourism and culture, current bases of economic change.
In all this, markets, both traditional retail markets, as well as a new typology that has emerged in recent years specialized in aesthetics and leisure, are fundamental in the continuation of the processes of capitalist accumulation. This article aims to show, through an analysis of two different markets - Mercado de Motores and Palo Alto Market, located in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona- the role that these facilities play in the dynamics of tertiarization and consumption of the contemporary cities. In order to do that, we will show their common elements and those that make them unique, with the aim of highlighting their new functionality in the international competition for making cities more attractive for visitors and capitals.