El espacio público como paisaje urbano: percepción del usuario y la valoración de los espacios públicos existentes en la ciudad de Riobamba

Abstract

This investigation seeks to define public space as an element of urban landscape in Riobamba, Chimborazo in Ecuador. Through the methods employed in this work, the situations in which users experience and use the city parks will be established. There is a lack of existing research that addresses the issue from the critical point of view of the current situation of the parks of Riobamba. In addition, the tendency towards m2/hab of public space within cities of developing countries is below the World Health Organization’s recommendation. Public space implies distinct dimensions, in addition, the perception and appreciation of the user define a degree of satisfaction, safety, and comfort that corresponds with the time of day they use the site. The municipality administers the appropriate uses of Riobamba’s city parks, and those who execute projects are professionals in the branches of Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape (although barely the latter), and a technical assessment is essential to determine the appropriate approach to the city's parks. Three groups were established that categorize the parks in Riobamba. In the first group, are the emblematic and heritage parks, the major and representative parks, for their area and demand, make up the second group, and, finally, the third group is formed of minor parks located in the surrounding areas of the city. After the analysis and interpretation of the results, it is established that the current situation requires a city project that integrates pubic space as an indispensable part of urban space. Strategies are determined that address the parameters which user surveys and interviews with experts have shown as priorities. The desired benefits assume that city parks are spaces for social, cultural, artistic, and athletic exchange for inclusion and identity. Families and people of varying age, gender, social status, religion, and political ideology return to these spaces to enjoy a visual landscape at harmony with nature and current technological advances. Therefore, the community, the administrative municipality, public institutions, and private owners of these sites should be the main actors to come together with a common goal, which is joint and responsible work that allows the creation of public spaces that are worthy of all citizens of Riobamba, regardless of the sector where they live.