Inhabitants of Písnice, a neighbourhood built on the outskirts of Prague in the mid-1980s, lost more than just a political fight. They lost their homes, friends, and communities. However, there are several lessons to be learned from this, regarding both the socialist past and the post-socialist capitalist present.
Hatred towards AirBnB is not unique for Prague. In many cities around the world, people and municipalities are trying to impose control measures on short-term rentals. However, AirBnB is not only about short-term rentals anymore. It is an obvious proof of how the capitalist economic logic functions in the city: housing is for sale, not for fulfilling human needs. Those who can afford it, can live; those who cannot, must leave to the outskirts.
