Spatial transformations of neighborhood courts and their effects on social practices. The case of the courts of the Lorenzo Arenas neighborhood, Concepción

Abstract

Sports fields are relevant in the neighborhoods of many Latin American cities, agglutinating social activities which turn them into local squares. However, in the Chilean case, several have been spatially modified to improve their infrastructure, limiting their access and use by the inhabitants. This research asks how the spatial modifications of the futsal courts affect their use by the inhabitants. The general objective of this document is to understand the effects of the socio-spatial modifications of the courts of the Lorenzo Arenas neighborhood, in Concepción, on the uses and practices of the courts by the community. The specific objectives are to analyze the relationship between the socio-spatial modifications that have been made in the soccer fields and the transformation of social practices in the local community. The methodology is inductive and descriptive, with a mixed approach, with analysis of socio-spatial, evolutionary, and perceptual variables. The results allowed the ratification of the initial hypothesis, understanding that the neighborhood courts have played a key social role in the articulation of the neighborhoods, and that their recent modifications have led to transformations in social practices that traditionally took place in them and in their surroundings.