With Globalization Comes Gentrification
We're living at a crossroads. Remote work has allowed greater location freedom, and travel is more accessible than ever before. However, it's not all good news: as affluent nomads move to foreign countries, those places risk losing their cultural identity, locals are pushed out to make way for wealthy investors, and once-small, off-the-beaten-path places become overpopulated. Here are 20 cities feeling the brunt of globalization and the digital nomad lifestyle.
1. Brooklyn, New York
Once an affordable borough on the outskirts of NYC, full of artist hubs and working-class areas, Brooklyn has exploded to the point where some neighborhoods are even more expensive than parts of Manhattan. This pushes the lower-income people even further out of the city.
Jean-Daniel Francoeur on Pexels
2. Tulum, Mexico
Once a hidden gem full of jungle and virgin beaches, Tulum became popular among influencers and celebrities who spilled the secret in a big way. Development companies routinely push out local populations to make way for swanky condos and hotels and the region's basic infrastructure is having difficulty keeping up with the growth.
3. Portland, Oregan
Portland became the hipster city of America, known for its quirkiness and flourishing art and food scenes. It's gotten to the point where the hipster aesthetic is a little over the top and the artists that made the city cool in the first place can't afford to live there anymore.
4. Austin, Texas
Like Portland, Austin became synonymous with hipsters, vintage clothing, craft beer, music, and arts. However, its burgeoning tech industry saw a huge influx of Silicon Valley-based companies moving to Austin, changing the demographic of the city, making it overpopulated, and expensive, and ruining its quirky character.
5. Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon has become an increasingly trendy destination for digital nomads from the US, Canada, and European countries who flock there for the relatively affordable cost of living, good weather, and lifestyle. As a result, the city has become unaffordable to much of the local population whose salaries have not changed despite the higher cost of living.
6. Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona has long been a favorite tourist destination due to its spectacular Gaudi architecture, vibrant culture, great food scene, and Mediterranean climate. However, in the past 20 years, the amount of tourism has caused the city to lose some authenticity. Rising rent prices and Airbnbs have pushed out residents that give the city its unique charm.
7. Cape Town, South Africa
In recent years, Cape Town has been drawing in an increasing amount of tourists, digital nomads, and expats with its natural beauty, pleasant climate, and vibrant culture. Foreign investments and gentrification have caused the disparity between rich and poor to become even wider with issues like homelessness more prevalent.
8. Canggu, Bali
The once-small surf town of Canggu became a hub for digital nomads in search of good weather, surfing, and a laid-back lifestyle. As a result, the area began rapidly developing, tearing down local businesses and neighborhoods to make way for luxury condos and trendy commercial areas.
9. Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is known for its rich culture, beautiful historic architecture, and affordability, making it a popular destination for expats and tourists. However, the influx of foreigners has started to destroy the city's authentic, gritty character, with luxury developments forcing out locals.
10. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is known for its beautiful canals, historic architecture, work-life balance, and relaxed drug laws. The city has attracted a massive population of expats which has caused a housing crisis, with rents skyrocketing and scarce property availability.
11. San Francisco, California
The rise of Silicon Valley and the expanding tech industry made San Francisco a hub for people working in the tech sector. The city is known for its charming aesthetic, beautiful landscapes, and modern culture. However, the exorbitant cost of living and prevalence of "tent cities" has taken away from the positive elements of the city.
12. Miami, Florida
Miami used to be the vibrant and affordable Latin center of America with beautiful beaches and a lively art scene. Now, it's synonymous with the expensive and glitzy "nouveau rich" lifestyle due to an influx of affluent Manhattanites in search of sunnier pastures.
13. Bangkok, Thailand
The capital of Thailand is known for its nightlife, street food, warm weather, and vibrant culture, making it a popular destination for expats and digital nomads from more affluent countries. Although still very affordable by North American and European standards, it has become expensive for the local population, and "party tourism" has degraded the city's historic charm.
14. Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul has long been a popular destination for history enthusiasts due to its unique East-meets-West aesthetic and cultural significance. However, more recently, it has been attracting digital nomads and expats with its nightlife, vibrant culture, and low cost of living, causing the once-affordable neighborhoods to increase in price to the point where locals are having a tough time making ends meet.
15. Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City has become increasingly popular for its art and food scene and rich history, attracting people from the US and other parts of Latin America. As a result, the already-packed city is seeing an even greater population growth and a rise in the cost of living, causing strain on the infrastructure, and forcing artists to find accommodation outside of the city.
16. Hong Kong, China
Being the global financial hub that it is, Hong Kong has attracted droves of finance workers, largely from foreign countries, changing the demographic of the city. It's now full of Western influences, condos, skyscrapers, expensive restaurants, and luxury commercial centers, taking away from the city's cultural identity and making it far too expensive for locals.
17. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Since being featured in Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik has skyrocketed in popularity, recognized for its stunning beauty, the influx of visitors overwhelming the local population and infrastructure and making the city unaffordable to locals. The government has also been criticized for prioritizing tourism over the needs of its own people.
18. Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Santa Teresa was once a small beach town on the coast of Costa Rica but became a popular destination for Canadians and Americans looking for a luxurious escape. Fancy condos and resort developments have displaced local, mostly low-income people, and theft and violence in the area is becoming a larger problem.
Luis Diego Aguilar on Unsplash
19. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Expats and digital nomads flock to the capital city of Malaysia for its street food, amazing weather, vibrancy, and affordability. Gentrification and huge development projects have put the city's unique culture at risk, pushing out small businesses and local populations to make way for rich foreigners.
20. Medellín, Colombia
Once synonymous with drug cartels, Medellín has transformed into a vibrant urban center known for its street art, good weather, amazing food scene, and welcoming culture. However, the influx of wealthy foreigners has changed the character of the city and made it unaffordable to locals who still earn much lower Colombian wages.
