Being closer in the remoteness. The emergence of living environments in an urban periphery

Abstract

In this paper I retrieve some findings from a qualitative research conducted in the town of El Salto, Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Mexico. My purpose is to show some of the contradictions that are implicit in how peripheral populations dwell dull and precarious spaces. From the peripheral situation of El Salto, I try to elucidate how populations recuperate spatial and living proximities, the way as proximity and short trips influence the appropriation of the peripheral environment, or the maintenance of ephemeral life projects. The most important discovery is the purview of the periphery as a field strained by the polarity between the spatial and social distancing, and the endeavor to build sustainable living environments.