The construction of stigma in the open space of heritage centralities, La Merced neighborhood in the historic center of Mexico City

Abstract

World heritage public spaces represent an attraction where the culture of different societies is reflected.
Such culture - expressed on daily practices-, reflects also social, economic, political and environmental
conditions that give meaning to public space. This paper aims to explain the historical central space as the
scene of practices that in some cases are stigmatized in prejudice to the place and its inhabitants. But at
the same time, we also take into account that while for some people some practices may be stigmatized, for
others not. We depart from the assumption that various practices that are carried out in the patrimonial public
space are transformed over time until they are incompatible with a more plural urban society. A systematic
review of the topics to be discussed help us to explain the phenomenon. In addition, an identification and
classification of practices rooted in the heritage public space is carried out based on a negative or positive
connotation according to some authors for the case of La Merced neighborhood, in the Historic Center of Mexico
City. This article presents results that show that there is a diversity of practices that converge in a territory in
a negative sense repeatedly in different fragments of the neighborhood. These results are identified in a table
of characterization of stigmatized practices and they are also mapped. The dispute over the patrimonial public
space with overcrowding and different interests is discussed, in addition to putting on discussion what is indeed
stigmatized, the practices or space.