Real estate dynamics and urban policies in the central region of São Paulo: a discussion about gentrification in the district of Mooca

Abstract This article aims to analyze the real estate dynamics and urban policies in the central region of São Paulo, particularly in the district of Mooca, and to discuss to what extent a gentrification process will occur or is already under way. We base the concept of gentrification on a literature review according to analyses carried out in northern countries. Data from secondary sources are presented and analyzed in the form of tables, thematic maps and graphs, which enable an important spatial reading. Field visits and interviews with local stakeholders have identified a tendency towards elitist services and trades. According to the literature, this ongoing, unfinished dynamics has a number of ingredients of the gentrification process.