THE STREET AND COMMERCE: TRANSFORMATION OF JIRON CUSCO (LIMA) AND THE ROAD EL SOL (CUSCO) - PERU

Abstract

This paper analyses the spatio-temporal transformations of two roads of Peruvian cities and their current use of the land. One of them is Jiron Cusco, in the city of Lima, and the other is the Road El Sol, in the City of Cusco. Both roads are in areas denominated as Historic Centre. This investigation was based on academic material and newspapers. Concurrently, the fieldwork was conducted in each road, considering the visual exploration of the roads, informal chats, observations and landscape analysis. Beyond photographic registers, it was created maps to complement the analysis. The results showed that both roads were affected by intense spatio-temporal transformations, which modified the form and use of the land. Jiron Cusco was a residential and commercial road, with influence of the Chinese immigration market in the past. Over the second half of the XX century, as part of the historic centre of Lima, it was affected by an intense commercial occupation, precariousness of several buildings and conflict of diverse social agents, who were looking for its appropriation. There is currently in such road the predominance of the commerce in buildings and the public road, where the highlights are informal activities. The El Sol road, which requires higher importance in the Historic Centre of Cusco, similarly was affected by several modifications. From a road with a small river in its pathway and residential use, it was transformed in a modern avenue and, currently, with financial, commercial and touristic use.