Abstract

SANCHEZ ROSAS, Raquel Concepción  and  BANOS RAMIREZ, Othón. The Urban Landscape of Small Cities. The Central Square of Hunucmá, Yucatán. Relac. Estud. hist. soc. [online]. 2019, vol.40, n.158, pp.145-175.  Epub Dec 31, 2019. ISSN 2448-7554.  https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v40i158.367.

The central squares of small cities in Yucatan are open public spaces that fulfill several urban functions. Despite their modest appearance, they are complex places whose components -both tangible and intangible- are subjectively related. They constitute emblematic urban landscapes. To gain a better understanding of these squares, the most prominent buildings surrounding them are analyzed, together with their role in everyday social co-existence and walking as a pastime. Also examined are the most significant civic events that take place in those spaces, many of which have roots going back to the Colonial period. Certain aspects of modernity were detected that threaten to undermine some of those squares’ historically-inherited capacities, including symbolic and identitary elements. In light of this analysis, it is suggested that rescuing central squares from a landscape perspective would help strengthen community identities and bring other advantages.

Keywords : Central square; public space; urban landscape; cultural heritage; Yucatan.

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