Abstract
International agendas, such as the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, have been established as global guidelines for equitable planning of urban centers. However, there is a lack of indicators and tools for public policy planning at the local level. Spatial equity in planning has been related to the spatial match between public facility level and residents´ distribution. The objective of this research was to assess the spatial inequity in urban public space (UPS) of Atizapán de Zaragoza, State of Mexico, and analyzed the cause of this phenomenon with a methodological framework based on the general indicator omissions in public policy. The indicator, omission of municipal public policies associated to UPS, allowed us to explain the existence of the spatial inequity in: (1) the conceptualization and interpretation that decision makers have about urban environmental development in the territory; (2) the lack of a public discussion about the sustainable vocation of the municipality; and (3) the dominant values of the actors involved in the production, planning, and installation of UPS. The significance of this phenomenon affects the recognition that UPS is a primary element for guaranteeing the rights to a healthy environment in equitable and sustainable cities and a resource for strengthening social cohesion, governance, and appropriation of public assets.
Highlights
Urban public spaces and spatial equity are articulating elements in the construction of public problems
The results of our study show insufficient area per capita and spatial inequity related to the urban public spaces (UPS) planning in the municipality of Atizapán de Zaragoza, Mexico City Metropolitan periphery
Our analysis of the municipal public policies related to UPS planning and maintenance identified an omission of municipal strategy for equitable planning of UPS and a selective omission resulting from a bias towards less affluent and poorly organized groups without significant economic and social influence
Summary
Urban public spaces and spatial equity are articulating elements in the construction of public problems. The study of urban public spaces (UPS) from a socio-environmental approach allows a greater understanding of urban contexts and comprehensive and equitable public policies. Discussed the public space of cities as a social creation, signaling that its production and reproduction has an important influence on social and environmental systems in cities. Considering the central urban and social functions that UPS perform, we can define them as places that prioritize the infrastructure and urban equipment over social characteristics and have the purpose of providing open and accessible environment for social interaction. From a socio-environmental aspect, crucial for this study, public spaces are primarily considered social spaces where social reproduction develops based on power relationships [1,3] According to the Mexican Secretariat of Social Development (acronym in Spanish: SEDESOL) [2], UPS represent ideal places for the development of sports, recreation, and artistic-cultural activities, as well as for the use and enjoyment of the community.
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