Cronaca di un abbandono: fenomeni di migrazione all'interno della Ciudad Vieja di Montevideo

Abstract

For centuries the Ciudad Vieja was the functional, residential and commercial centre of the city of Montevideo, however over the past century it has undergone many transformations, which have changed its urban essence and its social composition. It has been shown to be the barrio in Montevideo with the highest population decline (about 20 %). Such phenomenon may be attributed to the position of the commercial port in the bay and to the consequent development of activities linked to the port, which have transformed the old town centre into a "port barrio". The Ciudad Vieja slowly emptied and it was seen as dangerous and degraded by its inhabitants, who went away from it attracted by more comfortable and quiet homes by the ocean. Another flow contrasted that of the fleeding population: it was made up of the lower class in search for refuge, attracted by the vacant and abandoned homes, which it occupied illegally, and by work opportunities offered by the nearby port. The essence of the Ciudad Vieja changed once again and the urban decay of the streets was equivalent to the worstening of the living conditions of its new inhabitants, who live without sanitation rules, in overcrowded conditions and without running water and electricity. Although in recent years administrations have dealt with the area's urban and social decay, the proposed solutions, limited to the reclamation of a few facades and to the pedestrianisation of some streets, have failed miserably and the phenomenon hasn't been contained, while private investors have never participated.