Mejoramiento del espacio público en las colonias populares de México. Caso de estudio de Xalapa-Veracruz

Abstract

Within the context of the study of urban areas in Mexican cities we need to concentrate on the present situation of public spaces. This topic has been little studied in our country while in other cities in the world it has been given great attention. This paper deals with the creation and transformation processes undergone by the outskirts of Mexican cities. It also states that public spaces in popular settlements are the result of direct actions by the inhabitants who aim at creating good quality and lasting public spaces. First the definition of public space is reviewed within the context of low income settlements. Then the paper deals with the processes of producing a public space and it takes a look at the protection, improvement and management strategies and the use the inhabitants make of the spaces in order to satisfy their need of public life. This paper comes from an ethnographic qualitative research which includes interviews and field notes and it argues that public space has a great importance within the urban integration and consolidation processes in low income areas.