Urban identities and socio-spatial dynamics in waterfronts

Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

Abstract

The coastal tourist city shows fragmentation, with an impact on public space, cultures, socio-spatial dynamics, and tourism. Ensenada, Mexico has an intercommunication with the United States of America due to its proximity to the northern border and the arrival of cruise ships. The importance of the present study lies in the explanation of how urban identities are constructed in the public spaces of Ensenada's waterfront (malecon), based on the impact of the sociospatial transformations carried out in the period from 2013-2025, and tourism, from the perspective of local users. A mixed approach was chosen, through a) perception questionnaire and b) focus groups. The expected results show that urban identities are contrasted, adopting and mimicking socio-spatial characteristics external to the city, which impacts the components of recognition, belonging, permanence, and linkage by local users.