Socio Spatial Relations and Physical Characteristics of a Plaza: Case of study- Simon Bolivar Square in the city of Santa Marta
Martha Milena Ávila De La Hoz
" Every citizen has had long associations with some part of his city, and this image is soaked in memories and meanings "
—Kevin Lynch Image of the City
Abstract
This study analyses the physical changes in urban public spaces in intermediate cities of Colombia, case of study, Simon Bolivar Square in the city of Santa Marta; and the relationship of these physical transformations to changes in processes of sociability. This situation has led to the emergence of different social and cultural issues, which are directly linked to situations of socialization in the spaces, imaginaries and identity of the inhabitants and place marketing.
Key words: Santa Marta, public space, sociability, place marketing
Introduction
In the last decade a reshape of public spaces has been taking place in Latin American countries, regarding its relevance on the improvement of social, cultural and environmental concerns (PARDO, 2009). The efforts for strengthen the role of urban public spaces as protagonist in the achievement of intercultural exchanges and human interactions, have driven to a debate around the new changes that have been taken and the ones that have to be undertaken in intermediate cities as Santa Marta, Colombia.
The aim of this study is to inquire more deeply about the late changes in the physical structure of Simon Bolivar square in Santa Marta, as well as the relationship of these transformation phenomena with key factors as sociability in urban spaces, government, society and urban environment itself. As will be shown, the changes suffered by this places in the past 15 years have led to variations on social interactions as well as other social, cultural, political and economic consequences.
The study will be conducted by the review of different emphasis, theories and arguments set out by other authors, scholars and theorists on topics as space, public space, sociability and power, and city image, additionally to the data collected in the study area and analysed by the author.
The paper will be structured in four major parts: the first, justifies the identified problematic and analyses the development of the phenomena; the second, studies, from the big to the small scope, and examines the identified topics in relation to the urban space. The third, uncovers the methodology used in the study and discuss the practical use of Post-structuralism theoretical perspective; the fourth, reveals the results of the analysis furthermore the overall achievements of the study.
