Territorial transformation and potentialities of Bastión Popular from the communitarian perceptions of its residents

Abstract

Community spaces are consolidating as key settings for social transformation in marginalized neighborhoods marked by violence. This article reflects on the complex relationship between territory, violence, and daily life in Bastión Popular, a neighborhood in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Drawing on the voices of its residents, the study explores their perceptions of changes in neighborhood realities in the face of violence, as well as the transformative meaning they attribute to recreational spaces in their territories as tools for addressing conflict.
Through an analysis of the social and educational context, combined with the use of qualitative research methods and projective tools, the study accessed residents’ perceptions and the uses and meanings they assign—both physically and symbolically—to their neighborhood space. The findings highlight the challenges and opportunities of spaces such as community centers, toy libraries, and media libraries to foster socioemotional skills, prevent conflict, strengthen community ties, and generate forms of resistance and territorial de-stigmatization.