This article presents an empirical study, which analyzes the characteristics of those social housing projects implemented in the medium-sized city of Liberia, in Costa Rica, and their relationship to the territorial distribution of inequality and urban poverty. The dynamic economic growth of the province of Guanacaste and in particular of its capital, the city of Liberia, is widely recognized in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, this growth is accompanied by a process of socio-economic polarization. Particularly, and after conducting an urban analysis, it was found that the implementation of social housing projects have benefited almost 20% of its population -mostly very poor households-, yet it was also found that its implementation has contributed to the generation of what could be referred as 'enclaves of poverty' in the northern corner of the city, reducing the possibilities for development of those households. The study evidence the potential that urban planning and the implementation of the housing policy has on collaborating to promote equity and inclusiveness, in addition to its direct objective of providing decent housing to those household in need.
Author Biography
Carlos De la Espriella, Universidad de Lund
Arquitecto, estudiante de doctorado, Housing Development & Management (HDM), Universidad de Lund
De la Espriella, C. (2007). An Including Social Housing in Liberia? The Case of an Intermediate City in Costa Rica. Revista INVI, 22(59). https://doi.org/10.5354/0718-8358.2007.62134
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