Thomas Aguilera

Thomas Aguilera is a Lecturer in political science at the Rennes Institute of Political Studies, where he leads the Master's program in Governing Territorial Changes. He is affiliated with the Arènes laboratory and serves as an associate researcher at the Chair of Territories and Changes in Public Action (Sciences Po) and the Center for European Studies and Comparative Politics.

Research Focus: His work centers on public action, territorial governance, and social movements, with a particular emphasis on urban policies addressing informal housing (squats, shantytowns) in Paris, Madrid, and London. He also investigates the impact of social movements on policy and conflicts related to tourism regulation, including platform-mediated short-term rentals.

Publications & Projects: His 2019 collaborative research on Airbnb regulation in European cities (Environment & Planning A) highlights comparative policy responses to "platform capitalism" in Barcelona, Paris, and Milan. Current projects expand this work across 15 European cities, analyzing legal frameworks, political capacities, and data gaps in regulating digital platforms.