University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Heritage and the body: Female experiences of space in Cuenca, Ecuador

Abril Reyes, Maria Gabriela

This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124597

Description

Title
Heritage and the body: Female experiences of space in Cuenca, Ecuador
Author(s)
Abril Reyes, Maria Gabriela
Issue Date
2024-05-03
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Novoa, Magdalena
Committee Member(s)
Isern, David
Department of Study
Urban & Regional Planning
Discipline
Urban Planning
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.U.P.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
  • urban spaces
  • feminist activism
  • feminist theory
  • decolonial theory
  • cuerpo-territorio
  • heritage management
  • collective memory
Abstract
Spatial production, such as urban heritage management in most Latin American colonial cities, is defined by power relationships and has perpetuated systemic and historical violence towards women and other groups in the urban space. This research discusses the case of Cuenca, Ecuador, a city historically known as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO because of the linkage of its built environment to Spanish and French heritage. The project examines the bridge Mariano Moreno–a site of dispute between authorities, dominant heritage discourses, and feminist activists claiming women’s right to live safely and thrive in the city and its urban space. By working at the intersection of architecture, urban planning, feminist movements, and historic preservation, it analyzes how planning and preservation have historically underpinned different forms of inequality and gender biases in Cuenca. The research argues that the heritage conservation approach and site management impact female users’ experience due to a direct link between their bodies and the spatial realm. By drawing on women’s bodily experiences in urban environments such as the riverbanks of the city, this work unveils how these spaces expose them to the risk of physical and sexual violence and, therefore, reinforce gender violence. The stories add nuance to understanding how women live the city and how they have rescued a ceremonial character from urban space by challenging the historical restrictions imposed by its colonial framework. This study engages feminist theories to excavate the connections between colonialism and urban heritage management. It problematizes colonialism in planning and architecture by its interaction with female knowledge, generating a significant shift in how the urban space is regularly understood and taught.
Graduation Semester
2024-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2024 Maria Gabriela Abril Reyes

Owning Collections

Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois