Place-based counterpublics: The role of social media in resistance to gentrification in London

London is facing increasing gentrification pressures and, until recently, resistance has been a relatively under researched topic. This PhD addresses this shortfall by investigating the role of social media in resistance to gentrification in London. In doing so, I develop the concept of place-based counterpublics to conceptualise the ways in which social media is being used by local campaigns. By analysing the role of social media, this PhD’s contribution to knowledge lies in accounting for how social media is situated within broader discursive practices. Accordingly, this PhD addresses two research questions: (1) how have campaigns used social media to construct place-based counterpublics and (2) to what extent were these counterpublics effective? To investigate these questions, I also draw on debates about counterpublics and progressive place. I analyse primary data collected from two campaigns; Stop HDV and Up the Elephant, consisting of 733 Facebook posts, 14, 219 Tweets and 12 semi-structured interviews with activists. Through analysis of this data, I contribute to knowledge by demonstrating how the campaigns’ social media practices are interlinked with their broader discursive practices. By attending to both these spheres, one can gain a more comprehensive picture of the role of social media in resistance to gentrification. This PhD makes a further contribution to knowledge by demonstrating the continued utility of the concept of counterpublics, which can be used to understand contemporary resistance to gentrification as well as to assess the impact of such activism.