Contributions of the vernacular heritage in the current city. Case study: Santo Domingo Neighborhood, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

[EN] The situation of marginality and vulnerability in the historic center of the capital of Chiapas is latent despite its location in the area of the greatest supply of services and urban facilities of the city. Specifically in Santo Domingo neighborhood in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, there has been a gradual loss of inhabitants since the 90s causing the decline of vernacular heritage and local identity. The commitment to sustainable development in cities worldwide sets as goals various actions that promote a look at the vernacular heritage and its relationship with the environment. However, the model of expansive growth of the city in an uncontrolled manner, moving away from the central city, also moves away from the Sustainable Development Goals.This article is part of a broader investigation in which the development of a methodology is proposed that establishes a specific cataloging system of the earthen architectural heritage of Santo Domingo neighborhood to provide guidelines for its preservation, strengthening and, in turn, of the historic city center, as a basis for redirecting the current city towards sustainable development.Through the analysis and characterization of the buildings built with raw earth and their inhabitants, it deepens in the analysis of the vernacular heritage, in its construction and consolidation of the urban environment, as well as its way of contributing to economic, social, and environmental links.However, the future of the vernacular heritage in urban areas, in this case, Santo Domingo neighborhood, depends not only on the patrimonial valuation in society but also on its economic revaluation by public and private institutions.