Urban spatial segregation in Santiago de Chile, a prevalent feature of Latin American cities, underscores socioeconomic disparities and shapes the city’s socio-spatial dynamics. This segregation, driven by land prices and private ownership, has pushed disadvantaged groups to the periphery and limited their access to desirable areas reserved for wealthier segments of society. Quebrada Macul Park, situated within this segregated urban landscape, serves as an emblematic case that challenges and expands the classical definition of urban segregation. It exemplifies the complex negotiations over space utilization among social groups, defined by socioeconomic, generational, and interest-based differences. This study employs micro-segregation studies in a broad sense, both as a conceptual framework and as a methodological tool to analyze these dynamics. Through qualitative methodologies, including six in-depth interviews with diverse stakeholders (social and ecological activists, longtime residents, and park employees) and five participant observations, the research investigates the varied uses and meanings attributed to the park. The findings reveal that the park’s evolution from a space frequented by low-income dwellers to a diverse metropolitan park has sparked debates over its public versus private character, mirroring the power struggles among distinct social factions. The park serves as a profound identity marker for its historical inhabitants, who initially fought for the right to use it and today experience nostalgia due to its widespread popularity. Meanwhile, the struggle to establish the park as a public space challenges the city’s segregation dynamics and might promote social cohesion within urban natural environments.

Se presenta un estudio cualitativo llevado a cabo con jóvenes de cuatro barrios excluidos en Santiago de Chile: La Legua, José María Caro, Lo Hermida y Los Robles. El diseño me todológico involucró una diversidad de técnicas de producción de datos que permitieron identificar los relatos subjetivos de sus habitantes, así como la mirada externa de los ba rrios. Los resultados sugieren que las percepciones subjetivas (o desde adentro) de los/ as jóvenes de barrios excluidos dan cuenta de que reconocen la desigualdad estructural que los/as aqueja, pero son también críticos de esta lectura, y de los estigmas espacia les que se les imputa (desde fuera), matizando tales clasificaciones con experiencias biográficas asociadas a sentimientos positivos en sus barrios. El artículo concluye que el concepto de barrio excluido necesita de la articulación dialéctica entre subjetividad y sociedad, o entre miradas desde adentro y afuera, para abrirse a nuevos procesos de cambio social.

The spatial segregation is a characteristic of Latin American cities, resulting in distinct dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion at both spatial and identity levels. Then, specific green spaces may convert into appreciated and contested territories, where various actors negotiate their uses and regulations. Considering a case-study in a green icon of the metropolitan city of Santiago de Chile, the main objective of the present study was to describe and comprehend the uses and meanings of the Quebrada Macul park among different social groups over the past two decades. We employed qualitative methods including six in-depth interviews with key informants (social and ecological leaders, historical neighbors, and park workers), five participant observations in the park, and statistical analysis of visitors. Results reveal that (1) the transition of being a popularly used hill to a metropolitan park rises tensions between public and private statuses of place; (2) conflicts emerge regarding who uses the space and how, reflecting power dynamics among different social groups; (3) the park, beyond being a public space, holds significant identity value for its historical residents, both for those who fought for its recovery and those who have lived closely, so processes of forgetfulness might be resentful. We conclude on enduring meanings of the park associated with the struggle for the place among different groups, highlighting the role of memory for the social integration of groups among natural spaces.

Existe poco desarrollo de las implicancias teóricas, metodológicas y empíricas de adoptar una postura feminista en investigación social y urbana. En el presente texto, tres investigadoras cualitativas se aventuran al desafío que supone el ejercicio reflexivo de traer al frente y en primera persona sus posiciones onto-epistemológicas en el diseño metodológico de la investigación social, en especial cuando son aplicadas en contextos urbanos desiguales. A partir de sus propias experiencias produciendo datos cualitativos en movimiento en las ciudades de Chaitén, Santiago y Barcelona, se ofrecen lineamientos claves para hacer de la investigación cualitativa un modo de construir conocimiento consciente de las lógicas de poder, evitando así el riesgo de apellidar crítica a la disciplina sólo como una forma de rebautizarla, vacía de su impacto ético, político y práctico.