Public Space Accessibility in Vulnerable Areas in Post-Covid Times

Abstract

Public space has become a relevant factor for cities since it increases people’s quality of life. These areas help reduce physical and mental problems that may arise in society, and in addition, they increase the sense of community and improve the development that children may have. The Covid-19 virus and confinement made this type of space necessary. Although public spaces are taken more into account in the city, they do not take place on the edges of the urban area, as is the case in the community of Paso del Norte in the city of Chihuahua in Mexico. The community has two spaces that can be considered recreation areas, but the reality is that they do not have adequate infrastructure to make them safe and formal places. These make us wonder what the people of this community do in their free time, how they use these public spaces, and how they have evolved over the years. So people in the community were surveyed to solve such unknowns, revealing that these spaces have changed in the last two decades. Especially with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. These green areas added value to the areas where they are, plus many adapted the spaces for recreational, educational, commercial, and productive use. Design is a great tool that can take the detected weaknesses of a community and turn them into strengths to create a good quality public space.