Políticas urbanas y su impacto social en los procesos de gentrificación del centro histórico de la ciudad de Cuenca en el período 2020-2024

Abstract

Gentrification is defined as a process that produces transformations in the economic and social composition of a territory. In the case of Cuenca’s Historic Center, urban policies aimed at the conservation of built heritage, the regeneration of public space, and the regulation of land use have, over time, contributed to the configuration of gentrification processes and to changes in social composition. In this context, the present research seeks to identify and assess the social impacts of urban policies on the process of gentrification in Cuenca’s Historic Center during the period 2020–2024, based on the experiences of its residents. This study adopts a qualitative methodological approach, with an exploratory and descriptive case study design. Data were collected through non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and secondary documents. The findings show that urban renewal public policies have generated transformations in land use and in the social composition of Cuenca’s Historic Center, modifying everyday dynamics and the perceptions of long-term residents, who identify processes of exclusion and the weakening of historically rooted social practices.