Participatory action research and urban renewal in the patrimonial barrio La Ronda Quito

© 2016, Sociedad Interamericana de Psicologia. All rights reserved. In this paper, we report an experience of Participatory-Action-Research (PAR) in the heritage neighborhood “La Ronda” of the historic center of Quito, where the objectives are to strengthen the sense of community, participation and appropriation of urban public space. In first place, we enter the debate on the social meaning of urban renewal and the potential contribution of the psychoenviromental approach that studies the city. In second place, we describe the main socio-spatial concepts that substantiate psychosocial intervention. In third place, we show the procedure performed and the various techniques used in each phase of the PAR. In fourth place, we present the results of the intervention, finishing with argue of the scope and limitations of the experience and the relation with the revitalization of cultural heritage.