The Regeneration of Insta-famous Spaces and Amplified Commercial Gentrification Driven by Geomedia: The Case of Shanghai

Abstract

The "insta-famous" attribute of modern consumption spaces promotes commercial gentrification in cities. However, the analysis of media and insta-famous spaces is often regarded as two separate paths. The voice of different subjects through media is also relatively lacking. Using geomedia as the theoretical frame, this research analyzes the interaction of geospatial and media communication between different groups in the insta-famous market using triangulation and semantic analysis, and probes into the main characteristics and driving mechanism of geomedia-driven amplified commercial gentrification in Wuzhong Market, Shanghai. The preliminary findings reveals that in such a typical amplified space, an Insta-famous space, the geomedia magnifies the specific scene and the practice, thus reshaping the space and promoting amplified commercial gentrification. In addition, the process of amplified commercial gentrification has four characteristics, namely spatial imbalance, selective regeneration, social segmentation, and mark scattering. Furthermore, different social groups contribute to amplified commercial gentrification through their voice in geomedia. The government drives gentrification as a catalyst. Managers and business owners work together to promote gentrification. The influencers drive the middle class marking as pioneers. The cultural consumption needs of the middle class continue to drive gentrification, while nearby residents and stallholders become passive objects, excluded from the insta-famous market. This research aims to expand the understanding of global commercial gentrification based on the experience of local cases in Shanghai,China and to further promoting interdisciplinary dialogue between geography and media researches.