Culture and Politics in Colombia: New Perspectives in Local Public Policy

Abstract

In the last two decades an increasing debate is taking place in Latin America about public spaces and their importance in the improvement of the social and cultural environment in major cities. Special attention has been given to the role played by public spaces in generating sociability and facilitating intercultural exchanges, as well as their contribution in constructing a democratic and inclusive urban culture. The present article aims to contribute to this debate by looking at the main institutional and socio-cultural transformations, which in the past two decades have been taken place in both the public spaces and urban culture in Bogota, Colombia. As it shows, the local government, academic circles, and several sectors of civil society have become increasingly involved in the formulation of public policies on public space and the creation of educational and cultural programmes aimed at reconstructing the urban public domain.