Contradicciones en la planeación urbana participativa: el caso del Plan de Mejoramiento de Barrios Periféricos de Cuenca. Caso San José de Balzay

Abstract

Participatory urban planning was enshrined in Ecuador through the 2008 Constitution and the 2010 Organic Law on Citizen Participation, yet its practice often exposes tensions that erode policy effectiveness. This study investigates contradictions that emerge when social participation is integrated into the implementation of Cuenca’s Peripheral Neighborhood Improvement Plan, using San José de Balzay as a case study. An exploratory, comparative qualitative design was applied, involving two focus groups (six municipal technicians and six neighborhood leaders; April 2024). Transcripts were processed with Voyant Tools to detect lexical patterns and systematically contrast institutional and community views. Findings reveal mismatches between formal participatory mechanisms and local practices, along with institutional barriers that constrain citizen influence across planning and implementation processes for policy.