IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section B

Abstract

Migration is changing, the North to South flow is gaining more traction due to the normalization of remote working, however the myth that Southern Regions can survive off tourism is encountering fallacies. Sicily’s capital Palermo is an example of this. Sicily enjoys one the lowest costs of living in Italy, holds Mediterranean weather with low impact winters and great cultural diversity due to its history, making it welcoming for all cultures. However, it also has one the highest percentages of unemployment, brain drain towards the North, low investment in education and healthcare and a unique identity resulting in Sicilians’ limited opportunities within Italy. In the last years, the creation of digital nomad visas, increased investments on infrastructure in the historic city center, continuous privatization of beaches have made many of those who stayed in the city center, (what Richard Florida would describe as the creative class) to be displaced due to the high cost of rent. Moreover, the already scarce resources are now to be contended with lifestyle migrants and tourists, turning locals into secondary citizens in their own land. Consequently, many forms of street art have risen to express discontent towards tourism and lifestyle migrants, with slogans such as “gentrification is colonialism”, “tourism kills the city” appearing in the historic city center. In addition, several activist organizations have been founded to protests the loss of social infrastructure and requalification of public spaces towards tourism questioning the identity and the future of Palermo as a livable city.