Abstract

SALAZAR ARENAS, Oscar Iván. Free Time Outdoors. Social Practices, Public Space and Nature at the Enrique Olaya Herrera National Park (1938-1948). hist.crit. [online]. 2007, n.33, pp.186-208. ISSN 0121-1617.

The growth of Bogotá during the 20th century was tied to process of modernizing urban space as well as the customs, social practices and mentality of the public. In order to understand the meaning of parks in the transformation of the city, this article examines the relationship between the state, elites and citizens in the public space of the Enrique Olaya Herrera National Park. Reviewing the early years of this park (1938-1948) reveals two important notions regarding urban parks in Bogotá: First, although they were part of a modernization project directed by local elites, these parks took on a life of their own once they were opened to the public. Second, there was a gap between the concept that planners had of the city and the urban practices of the people who used them. This gap shows that the public’s relation with urban space is dynamic and that their daily practices can affect ideas and hegemonic discourses.

Keywords : Urban history; Bogotá; everyday life; public space; cultural politics; parks.

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