Memory and Identity: Citizen Perception in the Processes of Heritage Enhancement and Regeneration in Obsolete Neighborhoods—The Case of Polígono de San Pablo, Seville

Abstract

The designation of which resources are valued as emerging heritage is at a turning point. This has resulted in urban heritage regeneration processes designed from the top down, neglecting the perception of the local. This article highlights the importance of generating participatory multi-actor spaces where the knowledge of agents involved in the same process of urban regeneration, in this case linked to heritage in obsolete neighborhoods, can be incorporated and contrasted. The San Pablo neighborhood in Seville, built in the 1960s, is chosen as a case study. Actor–network theory is taken as a methodological basis for articulating a network with the voices of agents involved in heritage regeneration processes in obsolete neighborhoods. A methodology designed from the bottom up is put into practice, having as a base the social agents, followed by the academy, and finally with the technical knowledge of official institutions. This research concludes that incorporating the elderly population as social agents in regenerative actions in the San Pablo neighborhood is a determining factor in characterizing its uniqueness. Collective memory naturally associates resources that are part of the social identity of the neighborhood. Due to its deep roots, the older population recognizes different elements that could be protected and possibly recognized as emerging heritage, and that technical agents should consider them to achieve sustainable regeneration.

Analysis of Touristification Processes in Historic Town Centers: The City of Seville

“…Instead, we are observing a process of inflation which is leading to the depopulation of this sector of the city, taking with it the traditional identity and values to be replaced by a constantly moving rootless population, merely passing through and causing excessive exploitation of the city. Citizen participation has proven to be pivotal in addressing these issues, as the social aspect that is integral to the value of heritage sustainability resides within the very population inhabiting it, being perceived and valued by them [32]. The collaboration of societal representations in decision making is deemed necessary, as well as in the development and regulation of these processes, given their direct impact on the population as a whole.…”

Housing Satisfaction: A Comparison between Post-Second World War Large Housing Estates and Post-Socialist Multifamily Residential Neighbourhoods in Slovenia

“…A recent worthwhile contribution in this area are the studies conducted within the framework of the European Middle Class Mass Housing COST Action (MCMH-EU). One such study [41] adopts a bottom-up approach that usefully mobilises the knowledge of the older population regarding declining housing estates in the development and adoption of heritage regeneration actions. Particularly active institutions in the conservation of large housing estates include the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites, and neighbourhoods of the Modern Movement (DOCOMOMO).…”

Double-Skin Facades for Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency in Mediterranean Climate Buildings: Rehabilitating Vulnerable Neighbourhoods

“…The San Pablo neighbourhood is integrated into the urban fabric, bordering the city's train station and near the historic centre. It was built in phases between 1960 and 1970, divided into five zones with different building types (Figure 5) [49].…”

“…The San Pablo neighbourhood is integrated into the urban fabric, bordering the city train station and near the historic centre. It was built in phases between 1960 and 197 divided into five zones with different building types (Figure 5) [49]. The block of houses chosen for this study is a five-story building (ground floor + 4 with two homes per floor set parallel and perpendicular to other buildings of the sam type (Figure 6).…”