Diseño de catalizador móvil transformable con andamios para vendedores ambulantes en el Centro Histórico de Cuenca

Abstract

The economic crisis affecting Cuenca has led to an increase in the number of people forced to resort to informal commercial activities on the streets as a fundamental means of subsistence. These street vendors, due to their precarious economic situation, tend to establish themselves in public areas without the corresponding permits, which inevitably triggers conflicts with municipal regulations and generates an undo occupation of public space. Architectural interventions are proposed to address this problem and transform existingplazas into dynamic spaces that allow street vendors to perform their activities safely and unrestrictedly. An architectural blueprint has emerged as a result of this research, conceived as a transportable mobile catalyst that will occupy the plazas at specific times without detracting from the identity of the plaza as such. A structural system based on scaffolding will be used to achieve this, allowing the creation of ephemeral modules that are easy to anchor. Two strategic squares have been selected for the location of this project, the "Plaza San Francisco" and the "Plaza Cívica 9 de Octubre," to increase the impact of the intervention and favor a more significant number of street vendors. In addition to providing safe commercial spaces, the proposal seeks to enrich the quality of public space and promote social inclusion and urban revitalization in Cuenca, aimingfor a more sustainable, orderly, and equitable development in the city.