Apropiación, accesibilidad y paisaje urbano en el espacio público del Centro Histórico de San Luis Potosí, México

Abstract

The document analyses the phenomenon of appropriation of the public space by the itinerant commerce in the Historical Center of the city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and its relation with three integrated problems: loss of accessibility, detriment of urban landscape, and historical-cultural heritage damage. The perspective adopted considers three basic concepts that, in turn, became in operational categories into the methodological approach: i) Accessibility; ii) User perception; and iii) Spatial qualities. The sources of information used were derived from the literature review, information from economic censuses, media, and cartography used to locate the research problem. Preliminary results of a survey of local key players were also used by a Quality Data Analysis (Atlas.ti software). The first section describes some basic concepts to address the problem. Then some historical antecedents of the itinerant commerce in the city are presented, and its current dynamics are described — that includes the spatial distribution of itinerant commerce in the Historical Center and the main area of influence that occupies—. Later section presents the position of key players —citizens, street merchants, and authorities— on the problem and the opinions of the main actors involved in the research problem. The final section includes some aspects: the authors’ interpretation of the complex relationships between the phenomenon of appropriation of urban space, accessibility to the public space, and the aesthetics of the inner city. It briefly discusses the current and future implications of this problem in the case study and some reflections on measures that could be implemented in urban policy to address or mitigate it.