‘Grafitization’ vs ‘touristification’: informal signs of appropriation of the city or lack of protection of the historical non-tourist area?

Abstract

The northern sector of Seville's historic centre is experiencing a notable increase in graffiti, which contrasts with the southern area, affected by over-tourism and the replacement of residents by temporary visitors. This fact affects the local identity of the area's residents and reduces the architectural and urban quality of their surroundings. The presence and increase of these actions make us wonder if they are the result of social appropriation of this area of the city that still resists excess tourism and that citizens continue to recognise as their own. The objective of this research is to assess whether graffiti can serve as an indicator of non-tourist areas of the historical centre. In other words, graffiti can serve as a means whereby to differentiate tourist-saturated areas from residential areas. Through a photographic study and mapping of the affected areas, we identified whether this indicator is evident in those areas of the historical centre that can still be considered predominantly residential. It is remarkable that its presence immaterially delimits the northeast quadrant of the historical city, specifically the lesser tourist area of the historical city.