Everyday spaces: The informal and the public: Understanding the impacts of produced public space on women’s housing acceptability in emerging settlements. Case study Villas de Guadalupe, Jalisco, México

Urban informality has become a characteristic of Latin American cities. The present study addresses this phenomenon as an opportunity to explore its dynamics and processes for a sounder and more inclusive understanding. There is a close relationship between urban informality and public space given their transformative possibilities and flexibility to adapt to the needs and uses assigned. Frequently, informal settlements lack spaces intended for public use, hence, activities of users and practices claim and shape them, regardless of their original purposes or physical qualities. Particularly in the case of women, habits, perceptions of insecurity, stereotypes, and social expectation rooted in Latin American culture influence their eventual interactions with everyday environments or lead them to adopt new positions by changing dynamics and spaces. What defines the notion of public or informal Are these universal and applicable to the population in general? Do they impact housing acceptability in informal contexts? These are questions this document intends to clarify based on the theory of spatial production, which involves a critical look into informality, public space production, and their relationships with established gender roles, using qualitative methods to specify the impact of available public space on housing acceptability.