Tenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Situated in the port city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, this paper explores ecologies of regeneration in maritime and waterfront spaces. Three waterfront infrastructures will be examined: the maritime port, the park Malecón 2000, and the ecological urbanism project Guayaquil Ecológico. While their activities and built environments vary drastically, each site offers a complex articulation of public/private space and fraught negotiations over land, commerce, security, and waterfront access. I argue that each of these sites seek “regeneration” – whether urban, environmental, or economic. The paper first looks at two state-owned yet privately-operated spaces – the maritime port and the waterfront park Malecón 2000. Following a security agreement between the municipality and the federal government, this paper considers the incorporation of these sites’ private security infrastructures into the state surveillance apparatus. The paper then turns to Guayaquil Ecológico, a multi-year ecological urbanism project that resulted in the violent displacement of an Afro-descendent waterfront community as part of an effort to reforest mangroves. Guayaquil Ecológico raises questions regarding the seizure and securitization of waterfront land under the premise of “greening” and “regeneration.” Whether to facilitate commerce, security, urban regeneration, or forest regrowth, this paper is interested in new articulations of public/private, security/insecurity, and human/nature in the Guayas River waterway.