“Gentrifica”: Song echoes through Arles’ winding streets

During France’s La Fête de la Musique, a choral group in Arles’ La Roquette neighborhood performed a protest song highlighting the effects of gentrification and rising tourism. As short-term rentals and outside investment increase, longtime residents say housing costs and vacancies are pushing locals out and eroding community life. Once a diverse, working-class area, La Roquette is increasingly shaped by seasonal tourism and second homes. Residents warn that without balance, the city risks losing its cultural identity to profit-driven development.