Appropriation of the Central Square of Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Abstract

The article investigates the use and appropriation of public spaces as one of the fundamental aspects to consider in a study dedicated to the understanding of the daily life of cities. In order to do so, it adopts as concrete research object - case study - the Plaza central of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, a space with high patrimonial value. This approached from the qualitative method, seeking to understand and explain the different types of appropriation. The methodological procedure, collection of opinions through questionnaires applied to users of the Plaza central, follows the appropriation parameters proposed by Enric Pol (1996, 2006). Among these, the relevance of the historical condition of the public space, considering the increase of symbolic, political and social values, merged by the transformations and experiences developed in the space by individuals and social groups; marks in the space, generating integration and representing identity. In the Plaza central of Tegucigalpa, historically, the appropriation action determined by the elitist character of its use and appropriation by actors of classes of hegemonic power, and consequent absence of diversity of uses and users. As a result, there is a restricted appropriation of space by the majority of the resident population, and their impact on the difficulty of building diverse and heterogeneous social ties. Together, this framework expresses restricted democracy in the social life of the city of Tegucigalpa, identifiable in processes of transformation of patrimonial public spaces exclusively oriented to an exclusive urban comfort.