Papers by Lluís Frago Clols
Sustainability, 2021
COVID-19 has meant major transformations for commercial fabric. These transformations have been m... more COVID-19 has meant major transformations for commercial fabric. These transformations have been motivated by the collapse of consumer mobility at multiple scales. We analyzed the impact of the collapse of global tourist flows on the commercial fabric of Barcelona city center, a city that has been a global reference in over-tourism and tourism-phobia. Fieldwork in the main commercial areas before and after the pandemic and complementary semi-structured interviews with the main agents involved highlight the relationship between global tourist flows and commercial fabric. The paper shows how the end of global tourism has meant an important commercial desertification. The end of the integration of the city center into global consumer flows has implications for urban
theory. It means a downscaling of the city center and the questioning of traditional center-periphery dynamics. It has been shown that the tourist specialization of commerce has important effects on the real estate market and makes it particularly vulnerable. However, the touristic specialization of commercial activities as a strategy of resilience has also been presented. This adaptation faces the generalized commercial desertification that drives the growing concentration of consumption around the online channel.
Sustainability, 2022
This article tries to imagine the possible future retail-less city and its sustainability, combin... more This article tries to imagine the possible future retail-less city and its sustainability, combining some theoretical approaches with the initial data obtained from an analysis of Barcelona and Catalonia. The retail-less city is based on the idea of a city in which all the brick-and-mortar stores
have closed as a consequence of the growing virtualization of retail. The hypothesis is based on the contemporary theory of planetary urbanization and its implications for the popular relationship between retail and the city. First, the study analyzes the relative weakness of the current retail theories and the spread of certain terms that have not succeeded in becoming real concepts. Second, the research attempt to find a possible definition of the retail-less city based on the increase of brick-and-
mortar store and bank branch closures in Barcelona and Catalonia. Then, it explores some alternatives in urban policies and planning, using examples from Barcelona. Finally, the conclusion returns to the contemporary theories on globalization and planetary urbanization.
Bolletino Della Societa`Geografica Italiana, 2021
For Italian evaluation purposes: In spite that the three authors are responsible for the whole ar... more For Italian evaluation purposes: In spite that the three authors are responsible for the whole article, Carles Carreras especially worked on the fi rst, fourth and fi fth sections, Lluis Frago on the third and Eduard Montesinos on the second one.
Il volume è stampato con il contributo del progetto PRIN cup C66J16001350006, Dipartimento di Sci... more Il volume è stampato con il contributo del progetto PRIN cup C66J16001350006, Dipartimento di Scienze umane e sociali, Università di Napoli "L' Orientale".
Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 2020
In this paper, the authors analyze the local policies of Barcelona in regard to the conservation ... more In this paper, the authors analyze the local policies of Barcelona in regard to the conservation of the emblematic stores. First, they study the difficulties to consider heritage the highly dynamic economic activities, and the impact of the Barcelona’s tourist success on the conservation of some establishments. The strong impact of the real estate market into the retail business is also analyzed, especially the rent cost in order to maintain shops open. Some conclusions are presented trying to combine tradition and modernity in the urban retail activities.
Con la internacionalización del mercado inmobiliario de las ciudades, originariamente local, se h... more Con la internacionalización del mercado inmobiliario de las ciudades, originariamente local, se han generado nuevos flujos de capital que han reforzado a nivel mundial el segundo circuito. Barcelona, por lo menos desde 1992 no ha sido ajena a ello. Los últimos capitales llegados proceden de antiguos países socialistas, especialmente de la República Popular de China y de Rusia, con estrategias distintas de localización, más concentradas las chinas. Las consecuencias de estas nuevas apropiaciones del espacio urbano se sienten en la restricción del acceso al mercado de la vivienda por parte de los ciudadanos y en la formación de una Chinatown de modelo europeo.
Cities, and mainly their central squares 1 have been very relevant in the explosion of the so cal... more Cities, and mainly their central squares 1 have been very relevant in the explosion of the so called Arab spring, one spring that has very rapidly become a grey fall, when not a terrible winter, with too much blood, sweat and tears. But Cities, as the main stage of all kind of social movements, continue alive in a very resilient way under so many different conditions; they have always been connected to the birth and to the explanation of social conflicts and changes. Since the beginning of the 1970's has been created as a study object the concept of Urban social movements by the French sociologists, especially by the Spanish Manuel Castells (b. in 1942). Castells discussed with his former teacher Henry Lefébvre (1901Lefébvre ( -1991 the role of space on the social events and he has evolved to the analysis on the impact of the new technologies of communication in the origins of the new mobilizations . 1 Square is a conflictive English word for Spanish plaza because the public space that indicates don't refers at all at any specific geometric form.
Aproximación metodológica a las ciudades medias en Brasil (Resumen) Son distintas las aproximacio... more Aproximación metodológica a las ciudades medias en Brasil (Resumen) Son distintas las aproximaciones metodológicas utilizadas para el estudio de las ciudades medias del Brasil, los criterios demográficos son los que han llevado a hablar de ciudades de porte medio, mientras que los criterios funcionales han servido para hablar de ciudades medias. Los importantes cambios funcionales desarrollados en el seno de la globalización han conducido a complejizar aún más el método de investigación de estas ciudades. Se propone el estudio de los procesos urbanos desarrollados en el espacio interno de estas ciudades como otra metodología eficaz para la conceptualización de las ciudades medias tanto del Brasil como de escalas de análisis y realidades geográficas distintas. Palabras clave: globalización, ciudad media, procesos urbanos Methodological approximation to the medium-size cities in Brazil (Abstract) They are different methodological approximations utilized for the study of the medium-size cities of <>Brazil, the demographic criteria conducted to speak about medium carriage cities, while the functional criteria have served to speak about medium-size cities. The important functional changes in the globalization complexized even more the methodological approximations for the study of these cities. The research about the intra urban processes is another efficient methodological approximation for the conceptualization as much the medium-size cities of <>Brazil as another scales of analysis and geographical realities.
Carreras, C.; Martínez-Rigol, S.; Frago, Ll.; Morcuende, A.; Montesinos, E., 2016, New spaces and times of consumption in Barcelona: the case of the El Raval. Geotema, Vol. XX, nº 51, pp. 32-41. This work aims at exploring the unprecedented role played by new patterns and practices of consum... more This work aims at exploring the unprecedented role played by new patterns and practices of consumption not only within economic systems, but also within the processes of production and reproduction of contemporary city through a case study, El Raval neighbourhood in Barcelona. Inserted in the theoretical frame of retail geography, methodologically the research is based on a qualitative approach which implies the semantic differential to analyse each shop of the selected urban area, apart from the photographic observation of the main commercial streets in different times and days.
Pobles, viles i ciutats. No n'hi ha dos d'iguals. Tots tenen unes dinàmiques polítiques, econòmiq... more Pobles, viles i ciutats. No n'hi ha dos d'iguals. Tots tenen unes dinàmiques polítiques, econòmiques, socials i culturals pròpies. Una identitat que els singularitza i just per això els fa únics. Però al-hora, aquesta no és una diversitat inconnexa. Hi ha una interactuació entre municipis que els fa interdependents, que cohesiona el territori i arti-cula la nació. Pobles, viles i ciutats vertebren un país en xarxa.
Martínez-Rigol, S., Frago, Ll., Martín, J., Leal, P., 2013, Reunión anual de la Association of American Geographers, Biblio3w, Vol. XVIII, nº1047, pp. 1-18.
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Papers by Lluís Frago Clols
theory. It means a downscaling of the city center and the questioning of traditional center-periphery dynamics. It has been shown that the tourist specialization of commerce has important effects on the real estate market and makes it particularly vulnerable. However, the touristic specialization of commercial activities as a strategy of resilience has also been presented. This adaptation faces the generalized commercial desertification that drives the growing concentration of consumption around the online channel.
have closed as a consequence of the growing virtualization of retail. The hypothesis is based on the contemporary theory of planetary urbanization and its implications for the popular relationship between retail and the city. First, the study analyzes the relative weakness of the current retail theories and the spread of certain terms that have not succeeded in becoming real concepts. Second, the research attempt to find a possible definition of the retail-less city based on the increase of brick-and-
mortar store and bank branch closures in Barcelona and Catalonia. Then, it explores some alternatives in urban policies and planning, using examples from Barcelona. Finally, the conclusion returns to the contemporary theories on globalization and planetary urbanization.
theory. It means a downscaling of the city center and the questioning of traditional center-periphery dynamics. It has been shown that the tourist specialization of commerce has important effects on the real estate market and makes it particularly vulnerable. However, the touristic specialization of commercial activities as a strategy of resilience has also been presented. This adaptation faces the generalized commercial desertification that drives the growing concentration of consumption around the online channel.
have closed as a consequence of the growing virtualization of retail. The hypothesis is based on the contemporary theory of planetary urbanization and its implications for the popular relationship between retail and the city. First, the study analyzes the relative weakness of the current retail theories and the spread of certain terms that have not succeeded in becoming real concepts. Second, the research attempt to find a possible definition of the retail-less city based on the increase of brick-and-
mortar store and bank branch closures in Barcelona and Catalonia. Then, it explores some alternatives in urban policies and planning, using examples from Barcelona. Finally, the conclusion returns to the contemporary theories on globalization and planetary urbanization.