GIUV2025-677
The Research Group on City, Public Spaces and Culture (CICU) is dedicated to analysing contemporary urban dynamics from an interdisciplinary perspective, where culture, public space and urban life converge. Our main objective is to explore key issues for the development of cities in the twenty-first century, addressing both the challenges and the opportunities faced by urban communities in a context of constant transformation. Our research lines address urgent and emerging urban issues such as gentrification, displacement, citizen participation in cultural governance, and the impact of urban art on social transformation. The themes studied by CICU make it possible to identify and analyse key factors that influence quality of life in urban environments, providing a framework for a better understanding of the dynamics affecting communities. Our approach is characterised by a commitment to innovation and an orientation towards practical action. Beyond understanding urban and cultural phenomena, we aim to propose practical solutions and strategies that respond to the current challenges faced by cities. From the participatory design of inclusive public spaces to the promotion of...The Research Group on City, Public Spaces and Culture (CICU) is dedicated to analysing contemporary urban dynamics from an interdisciplinary perspective, where culture, public space and urban life converge. Our main objective is to explore key issues for the development of cities in the twenty-first century, addressing both the challenges and the opportunities faced by urban communities in a context of constant transformation. Our research lines address urgent and emerging urban issues such as gentrification, displacement, citizen participation in cultural governance, and the impact of urban art on social transformation. The themes studied by CICU make it possible to identify and analyse key factors that influence quality of life in urban environments, providing a framework for a better understanding of the dynamics affecting communities. Our approach is characterised by a commitment to innovation and an orientation towards practical action. Beyond understanding urban and cultural phenomena, we aim to propose practical solutions and strategies that respond to the current challenges faced by cities. From the participatory design of inclusive public spaces to the promotion of cultural policies that foster diversity and social cohesion, we are committed to generating knowledge with a positive and tangible impact on urban life. Within this framework, CICU explores in depth the interaction between citizens, public spaces and cultural expressions through participatory methodologies. We use tools such as visual analysis, participatory photography, in-depth interviews and urban ethnography to examine how public spaces reflect and shape the cultural diversity of cities. In addition, we investigate how communities appropriate and transform these spaces according to their needs and cultural expressions. At the same time, we employ quantitative methodologies, such as structured surveys and statistical analysis, to capture perceptions, behaviours and patterns of use of public spaces across different urban and cultural contexts. Our interdisciplinary perspective incorporates approaches from urban and cultural sociology, anthropology, architecture and cultural studies. This breadth allows for a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between the city, public spaces and culture. In this context, a gender perspective is established as a cross-cutting axis across all our research lines, ensuring that gender dynamics are considered at every stage of analysis and reflection. The ultimate aim of CICU is to provide a deep and enriching understanding of the interactions between culture, citizenship and public space, with the purpose of contributing to the design of inclusive urban policies that promote cultural diversity, strengthen the social fabric of urban communities, and guarantee the effective exercise of cultural rights. This approach prioritises citizen participation in cultural processes, fostering their involvement both in the creation and in the management of public spaces in cities.
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- Analizar las dinámicas urbanas y culturales contemporáneas desde una perspectiva interdisciplinaria
- Abordar problemáticas urbanas urgentes, consolidadas y emergentes, mediante investigaciones aplicadas
- Diseñar estrategias innovadoras y prácticas para el desarrollo urbano y cultural inclusivo
- Desarrollar y aplicar metodologías participativas cualitativas y cuantitativas
- Incorporar enfoques interseccionales y transversales en los Análisis urbanos y culturales
- Tourism, city and cultural disputes.We examine the impact of tourism on urban life, public spaces and cultural practices. We analyse how tourism transforms neighbourhoods and communities, the conflicts surrounding touristification, and the tensions between local use and the global consumption of the city. We also study experiences of sustainable cultural tourism and community-based alternatives that seek to balance the right to the city with hospitality and cultural diversity.
- Urban cultures, generations, human care and public spaces.Cultural practices and identities in different urban environments are explored, including subcultures, migrants and ethnic communities. The role of different generational groups and people with disabilities in urban life and the configuration of identities is also investigated.
- Cultural rights and citizen participation.The study examines how citizen participation strengthens the protection and promotion of cultural diversity in the city, as well as the impact of cultural practices on social cohesion. It also investigates innovative experiences of integrating cultural rights into urban governance.
- Neighborhood culture, inhabiting public space and local communities.Participatory research is carried out in urban neighbourhoods to understand local needs, values and experiences. Cultural and community resistance to gentrification is also analysed, as well as experiences of living in the city.
- Gentrification, culture and urban displacement.Research is conducted into how gentrification affects urban culture and communities, focusing on displaced communities and their strategies for cultural resistance, as well as the impact on public spaces and cultural life in neighbourhoods.
- Art in public spaces and social transformation.It explores how urban art can be a tool for addressing social issues, promoting cultural diversity and creating spaces for encounter and interaction. It also examines the impact of public art on the revitalisation and social cohesion of cities and public spaces.
| Name | Nature of participation | Entity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICARDO KLEIN CABALLERO | Director | Universitat de València | |
| Research team | |||
| MARIA GARCIA MUÑOZ | Member | Universitat de València | |
| AIDA VIZCAINO ESTEVAN | Member | Universitat de València | |
| MONIQUE LEIVAS VARGAS | Member | Universitat de València | |
| ANDREA RUIZ GONZALEZ | Member | Universitat de València | |
| LUCIA RUBIO ESCUDEROS | Member | Universitat de València | |
| JOAQUIM RIUS ULLDEMOLINS | Collaborator | Universitat de València | |
| GLORIA MARIA CARAVANTES LOPEZ DE LERMA | Collaborator | Universitat de València | |
| MARIA PATRICIO MULERO | Collaborator | Université Paris VIII | Graduate teaching assistant |
| PAU DIAZ SOLANO | Collaborator | Desconocida | Professor |
| MARIANELA FERNANDEZ VILLA | Collaborator | Universitat de València - Estudi General | UVEG PhD student |
| MARTA CASALS BALAGUER | Collaborator | Universitat de Barcelona | Professor |
| JUAN MANUEL BUENO CARVAJAL | Collaborator | Fundación de la Comunidad Valenciana Universidad Internacional de Valencia | Temporary lecturer |
- Research and experimental development in the social sciencies and humanities
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- PUBLIC SPACE
- CULTURE
- SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
- CULTURAL POLICIES
- CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
- PUBLIC SPACES
- GENTRIFICATION
- URBAN DISPLACEMENT
- ART IN PUBLIC SPACES
- URBAN REVITALIZATION
- HUMAN CARE
- URBAN CULTURES
- GENERATIONS
- CULTURAL RIGHTS
- LOCAL COMMUNITIES
- NEIGHBORHOOD CULTURE
- URBAN LIVING
- DIGITAL SOCIETY
- TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE
- URBAN LIFE
