Public space in the establishment of the self-produced habitat. Case of Ibagué and Villavicencio, Colombia

Abstract

The definition and construction of the collective spaces in informal settlements emerge as a consequence of the necessity for generating equipment and meeting spaces where relationships, wishes and imaginaries are born, which occurs after a developmental and consolidation process based on the social production of the habitat. In that sense, the public spaces and the centralities have developed in a unique way and parallel to the process of institutional planning according to the occupant dynamic. The informal settlements in Ibagué and Villavicencio (Colombia) were established in the periphery and promoted by forced and
violent displacement. The public space is key to the construction and maintenance of the informal settlements since people gather to improve their housing conditions as well as to contribute to the consolidation of the community. The public space is defined as the relationships between the environment and the beings who build it. These spaces are later legalized and incorporated to
the urban zone. This is a reflection about the self-production of the habitat from the individuals everyday practice perspective and its symbolic dimensions, with respect to relevant places for
the construction of the environment from a geographical perspective. The focus is on the public spaces within informal settlements studied through the cases of Ibagué y Villavicencio.