Unraveling the Relationship Between the Digital Platforms and Gentrification: Evidence from Nanjing, China

Abstract

Information-driven digital platforms are reshaping urban and social space, often intensifying gentrification. Using Nanjing (2019–2024) as a case, we combine Beike second-hand housing transactions with Weibo check-ins to map community gentrification stages, applying spatial autocorrelation, cluster and regression analyses. Gentrification correlates strongly with check-in density: commercial cores, tourist spots and university districts form “high-high” clusters, while peripheral zones remain “low-low”. Check-ins by non-locals, KOLs and KOCs exert greater influence than those by residents. Algorithmic “discursive investing” turns informational capital into place branding, attracting investors and accelerating change. These findings highlight digital platforms as new engines—and amplifiers—of urban inequality, calling for governance that regulates platform algorithms and protects spatial justice.