Public space, peri-urban areas and the right to the city. Intervention in Caracolí Park, ciudad Bolívar

The informal production of habitat is a growing phenomenon in Colombian cities, which share a common characteristic: the lack of public space to enable the development of community life. In a period when the right to the city has been reclaimed government actions seem to be insufficient. There is then a reflection for academics to empower the inhabitants of popular neighborhoods to effectively influence the transformation of their realities. From this perspective, this paper presents the work conducted in Caracolí, an informal settlement located in Bogotá DC, Colombia, where different academic and social objectives were combined to improve the physical conditions of the only park in the area. This study shows theoretical backgrounds, the results of previous research developed by the authors and the development of activities to conclude on the need to combine different knowledge for the construction of communities and cities.