Resumo

ZICCARDI, Alicia. Public Space and Citizens Participation: The Case of the Community Programme for Improvement of Neighborhoods of Mexico City. Gest. polít. pública [online]. 2012, vol.21, n.spe, pp.187-226. ISSN 1405-1079.

This paper studies the relationships between inequality, poverty and urban peripheries in areas heavily inhabited by the low income sectors whose organizational capacity has allowed them to compensate the unfavorable effects generated by the processes of territorial segregation and social marginalization.The study case is the Community Programme for Improvement of Neighborhoods of Mexico City (2007-2010), which is a massive and innovative social action that takes place within the framework of urban policies of social inclusion and recognition of the rights of citizens. This Programme promotes the creation of public spaces as meeting places to strengthen of community life, involves the difficult transition into a new institutional framework based on relations of proximity and shared responsibility between the government and citizens, and is based on the social organization of the low income sectors, as well as in the assistance offered by social and civil organizations and academics from various universities.

Palavras-chave : poverty and homelessness; community life and organization; urban conditions; social policy.