Local culture and urban regeneration: A case study in monterrey, nuevo león

Abstract

For several decades, culture has been used as an instrument of urban regeneration to revitalize degraded areas. Although there is a great deal of research studying the phenomenon, it is necessary to extend the debate to the diagnostic and planning stages. This article seeks to fill this gap by studying the technique of cultural mapping and its application in a case study: Downtown Monterrey in Mexico, to identify potential areas of culture agglomeration. These areas, known as cultural clusters, could be creating urban regeneration processes that contribute to the revitalization of the place. A mixed method of analysis is used that combines quantitative data with qualitative methods. The results show the existence of two cultural clusters in the center, comprising different actors, distinguished by various urban fabrics, which help promote the regeneration of downtown Monterrey.