International Retirement Migration (IRM) is a growing phenomenon in the Global South. Changes in transportation and new communication technologies associated with globalization have shortened distances and made it possible to own land and buy homes in remote destinations. Countries such as Ecuador are part of this process and are considered in recent years as one of the favorite places to retire in the world, largely due to the low cost of living and real estate prices. Against this background and using the case study of the Andean city of Cotacachi (Ecuador), this dissertation analyzes the economic and socio-spatial effects of the development of high-cost real-estate properties for North American retirees around indigenous communities. In order to understand the IRM-related effects, this study contextualizes and discusses them in light of the highly uneven postcolonial land distribution.
Toward this end, this dissertation employs an innovative mixed-methods approach that combines the use of quantitative techniques such as satellite imagery analysis, data collection on land and housing prices, with qualitative methods, like participatory mapping workshops, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. On the one hand, the use of high-resolution satellite imagery combined with participatory mapping techniques provided a detailed understanding of the spatial and temporal transformations of foreign-owned properties in the city. Quantitative and qualitative research, on the other hand, provided empirical insights on the economic and social effects of IRM-related real-estate development on indigenous populations.
Three academic papers form the main body of this dissertation. Paper 1 maps and analyses the spatio-temporal growth of foreign-owned properties. Paper 2, goes further and discusses the economic and social effects of IRM on indigenous communities, particularly with regard to access to land and local housing and Paper 3, examines the social practices of the foreign retired population and how these practices influence the level of interaction between the two groups.
The findings of this dissertation addressed methodological, empirical, and conceptual gaps in the research literature on IRM. Triangulation of data based on satellite imagery analysis with field research data contributed to the representation of the spatio-temporal dynamics of IRM-related real-estate development. Beyond the spatial dimension and from a critical geographical perspective, the research demonstrated how transnational real-estate market related to IRM, coupled with local socio-structural factors such as highly uneven postcolonial land distribution, deepens existing inequalities in indigenous populations, marginalizing access to land and fostering socio-spatial fragmentation
