Contenu du sommaire : Patrimoine industriel et gentrification en Amérique Latine

The rehabilitation of industrial wastelands into cultural and tourist hubs is a global trend that transforms abandoned spaces into places of life, memory, and creativity. In Europe, projects like the Tate Modern in London or La Friche la Belle de Mai in Marseille demonstrate how to preserve industrial heritage while innovating. In Latin America, initiatives such as Parque Fundidora in Monterrey or Paisaje Cultural de Fray Bentos in Uruguay illustrate how these projects can stimulate economic and social development. Challenges vary depending on the context: in Europe, gentrification and profitability are major issues, while in Latin America, limited resources and the preservation of threatened heritage dominate. New technologies, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, enhance visitor experiences but must remain balanced to avoid compromising the authenticity of the sites. For successful rehabilitation, it is essential to involve local communities, prioritize sustainability, and balance tradition with modernity. These projects offer a unique opportunity to revitalize territories while preserving their heritage, in Europe, Latin America, and beyond.

Centro Cultural Santo Tomás is a commercial and cultural complex located at the heart of the city of Ensenada, in what was a winery abandoned in the mid 90s, when production was relocated to the Santo Tomás valley. In 2001 it was declarated Cultural Heritaje of Baja California by the INAH (National Institute of Antropology and History). In 2021 a project called “Plaza Santo Tomás” was inaugurated. It consists in the closing of a segment of Miramar Avenue to transform it into a pedestrian park directly in front of the cultural center. This street was granted as a loan to the Elías Pando Foundation by the municipality of Ensenada. Although the project seeks to attract the entire Ensenada population to enjoy it, the question is: is this really the case? Is this project inclusive of the entire population, or does it have adverse effects on specific groups? The objective of this article is to contrast the institutional discourse with the reality of the Elías Pando Foundation's actions and how they affect the community in which it is located. This is done by providing a historical and cultural context of the site in question, in order to understand its composition and implications. To this end, I visited the site, interviewed project leaders, and also activists from the "Ensenada se mueve" group, who have criticized the initiative. I also consulted news reports and documents used to justify the project and present it to the Ensenada city council. This project could contribute to the gentrification of the area, increasing social inequality, which is contrary to the narrative behind its presentation.

This article continues the research on Fordlândia and Belterra, integrating into the investigations on Health Heritage in the Amazon carried out within the Graduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism at UFPA. Although the construction of Ford's enterprise for latex production in the early 20th century is widely known, there is little discussion about the Henry Ford Hospitals, built to serve the company's employees. Despite tensions between foreign health models and local practices, these hospitals were a reference in healthcare until the industrial project ended in 1945. Thus, the article investigates the post-deactivation period of these units, analyzing the consequences of the deterioration of these infrastructures on local healthcare assistance. The method is qualitative, including historical-documentary and photographic surveys, discourse analysis of residents associated with the perception of these places' ambiances in contemporary times, according to the perspective of the Ambiances.net Network.

Between 2011 and 2017 we carried out an art project based on the photographic, film and documentary archive of Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey, S. A. (1900-1986), the first steel company in Latin America and a bastion of modernity in Mexico. These collections, safeguarded by the Fototeca de Nuevo León, the Fundidora Historical Archive and the General State Archive respectively, constitute an exceptional resource that makes visible the struggles and wills that gave life to this emblematic company.The art project addresses the intricacies of capitalism and modernity to comment on the influence of politicians on the economy; the conflicts of interest inherent in power relations; the demagogic acts of rulers, businessmen and union leaders; the complacency among those who access management positions; the relationship between industry and banking; the protocolary events that commemorate achievements; and the institutional mechanisms of control. The paper focuses on the pieces that allude to the transformation of the steelworks into a mixed-use park (1991-present), whose economic model raises tensions between the ideas of heritage, public good, private profit, gentrification, and consumption.

In this text I propose a cartography of the (im)possible industrial heritage of the city of Tijuana, understood as the vestiges of the industrial activity of the first half of the twentieth century that are also related to the formation of an economic and political elite in the region. I will take as a reference the factory of Calette Paints and Varnishes, initially located on the outskirts of the city, on the road to Tecate, the nearest town, in a space that is currently located in the Centro district.

This study examines the incorporation of iron mining areas into the urban peripheries of cities in the central region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, located in the geological province known as the Iron Quadrangle. A comparative analysis is proposed with heritage preservation processes of mining infrastructure in regions of Spain, France, and Germany, where decommissioned mining zones have been transformed into museums, archaeological sites, or public parks. While in Europe these areas and their material heritage have been converted into public facilities, such as research centers or memorial sites, in Minas Gerais, mining companies—repeated offenders in environmental crimes—subject peripheral populations to a legacy of gentrification and spatial degradation. These companies operate with the complicity of public authorities, who show little inclination to promote heritage preservation, public engagement, and the historical recognition of iron mining's key role in the economic development and geographical identity of Minas Gerais.

The Río Blanco factory in Veracruz and the La Soledad Vista Hermosa factory, located in the municipality of San Agustín Etla, Oaxaca, were part of a project to modernise the textile industry in Mexico in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the union archives of the Río Blanco factory in Veracruz (2007), several workers were identified as coming from municipalities in the state of Oaxaca, some of them from the La Soledad factory. This finding connected the factories and their spaces. This work proposes a comparative review of textile factories and the current state of their buildings, in terms of their permanence even after having been used as manufacturing spaces.

Cervecería Ícono stands as a paradigmatic case of industrial heritage re-signification on the northern border of Mexico. Located in the former facilities of Cervecería Mexicali, this initiative brings together collective memory, craft production, cultural entrepreneurship, and community engagement. This article, based on a qualitative approach, analyzes how the recovery of this industrial site goes beyond architectural restoration to become a symbolic space of identity, sociability, and urban transformation. Through cultural practices, artistic programming, and institutional collaboration, Ícono exemplifies how heritage can be reactivated as a driver of economic development, social cohesion, and tourism rooted in local identity. The study highlights how such experiences re-signify the past to envision more sustainable, inclusive, and creative futures.

Graciela Iturbide is currently one of the most prominent living photographers in Latin America. This article discusses the key themes that underline Iturbide's work and applies ideas from the study of photography to her work. To emphasise the central qualities of these themes in relation to the photographer's work, this essay studies her first independent visual narrative, Los que viven en la arena.