The University and the Neighborhood: A Participatory Design Process

The research highlights the transformative role of the university as a socio-environmental agent through active learning methodologies. An example is the “IntegrArte” proposal in La Mariscal, which strengthened the relationship between the university and the neighborhood through ephemeral architecture and tactical urbanism interventions, integrating disciplines such as sociology and design. The initiative promoted the revalorization of public space and community participation, using participatory action research and combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to identify and translate neighborhood needs into concrete projects. In a Latin American context marked by spatial inequality, the experience underscores the importance of architecture responding to socio-environmental challenges, raising awareness among students and professionals regarding regional issues. The project also fosters transdisciplinarity in design, as well as the use of resources such as graphic systematization and visual narrative to understand and communicate community processes. In conclusion, the study calls for architectural education to reinforce its environmental commitment and promote more conscious and responsible attitudes toward the region’s challenges, thus contributing actively to the social and environmental transformation of the city.