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COVID-19 pandemic starting at the end of 2019, hit hard tourism and hospitality industries throughout the world. As a part of the processes, the most popular P2P accommodation service, the Airbnb also faced a rapid drop in bookings. This study explores and compares the effects of the first wave of the pandemic on the Airbnb markets of 15 cities. The analysis is based on the data retrieved from Insideairbnb.com. Booking trends are compared between 2019 and 2020 and a day-to-day analysis of occupancy rates during the first months of 2020 is also performed. Special attention was paid to the effects of pandemic on different price categories of listings. The results show that the evolution of local pandemic situation had the most significant impact on bookings and occupancy rates in the investigated cities. The characteristics of local markets and the pandemic and economic situation of sending countries had also great influence on the bookings and cancellations. In addition, in some cases the cancellations did not affect the reservations made for the later periods, meaning that tourists hoped for a quick recovery. The effect on price categories was also different from one location to another. The study provides empirical insights to the effects of the disease on P2P accommodations. Furthermore, the future of short-term rentals is also discussed briefly.

In the literature studentification is closely associated with gentrification. Many authors consider the mass invasion of students to inner-city neighbourhoods as a type of gentrification, some of them even use the two terms interchangeably. Regardless of theoretical considerations, it seems that there is a consensus on the significance of studentification in contemporary urban transformations. Recent studies demonstrate that the appearance of students as 'transient' inhabitants in inner-city neighbourhoods, accompanied by growing differences in lifestyles and socio-cultural attitudes weakens social cohesion in the affected neighbourhoods Haase, A. et al. 2012). This study focuses on the interplay between studentification, socio-cultural diversity and social cohesion in an inner-city district of Budapest, Józsefváros. The district has been characterised by several waves of urban rehabilitation and subsequent gentrification since the transition of [1989][1990]. Studentification has also become dominant phenomenon in the area due to the settling of new higher education institutions, the concomitant influx of students, as well as low rent and dwelling prices providing a niche for the spontaneous movements of a new generation of urbanites (Grabkowska, M. 2011;Bernt, M. et al. 2015). The main research questions we intend to answer in this paper are as follows. Firstly, what is the relationship between studentification and gentrification in Józsefváros? Secondly, what kinds of effects has the influx of students on the social cohesion of the district? According to our findings, studentification in Józsefváros is not the pioneer phase of gentrification, but -especially in the rehabilitation areas -it runs more or less parallel with it. Most of the students use the place as a springboard in their career, and after graduation most of them leave. The attitude of students is, however, very much resembles those of the young, highly educated newcomers, i.e. early gentrifiers. The impacts of studentification on the social milieu of Józsefváros are contradictory. On the one hand, the inflow of students and young intellectuals increases the socio-cultural diversity of the district, contributing to the recognition of diversity in a post-socialist context, and fostering tolerance and the acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles. On the other hand, it seems that the ongoing population change hampers the establishment of strong social ties at the neighbourhood level and leads to certain conflicts.

ABSTRACT:Due to the development of ICT technologies the so-called sharing economy has spread all over the world, gaining significant market share in certain sectors. One of the well-known and debated manifestations of sharing economy is Airbnb, which is an online platform for accommodation provision. Airbnb has wide-spreading effects on rental and real estate markets, thus it is important to analyse the uneven spatial effects of the phenomenon. This paper aims to map and analyse the intra-urban spatial pattern of Airbnb using three indicators: prices, distance from centre, and attractiveness of the area. The case study area is Budapest, Hungary. Collecting data from various sources we compiled 3-band raster maps to present the significance of the selected indicators. The maps reveal the hotspots of Airbnb within the city and the effects of distance and attractiveness on Airbnb prices.

Public spaces are spaces for representation of individuals, social groups, ideologies, values, cultures. At the same time, public spaces are commodifi ed and "disneyfi ed" in capitalism, thus, the creation of a homogeneous, "desirable" spatial form and use of public space is often intended. Therefore, their production is characterised by constant rivalries and struggles and causes social confl icts. In addition, the production of public spaces in post-socialism has distinct development paths which is often characterised by contradicting traditions and objectives regarding the spatial form and the everyday practices taking place there. These contradictions create confl icts between various individuals, social groups, actors of urban policies etc. The aim of the paper is to investigate how urban social diversity is (re)presented in the public spaces of the 8 th district of Budapest, Józsefváros. Which groups and values are more visible than others? How do local people use public spaces? The research is based on the content analysis of policy documents and interviews conducted with local residents of Józsefváros -one of the most diverse districts of Budapest. According to our results, the fragmented nature of the local society is refl ected in the use of public space: diversity is present between the public spaces and not within them. Furthermore, some of the recent developments support the homogenisation of values and behaviours in public spaces.