Aesthetic Enclaves as Potemkin Politics

Cultural styling and curated urban amenities (boutiques, patisseries, designer interiors) function as political infrastructure that sustains an image of civic virtue while insulating residents from adjacent deprivation. These 'aesthetic enclaves' turn visual and lifestyle taste into a governance mechanism that reduces accountability and flattens attention to local harms. — If recognized, this reframes debates about urban inequality and performative solidarity — making aesthetics itself a target for policy, planning and civic oversight rather than merely a matter of taste.