A Methodological Framework for the Conservation and Planning of Urban Spaces in Historical Centers Around Riverfronts. The Case of Arequipa, Peru

Many cities have been born around rivers, which have not only been a source of life and irrigation for crops but also have provided spaces for recreation and social gathering. However, growth and modernization processes have led to the social and environmental detriment of many of these areas, becoming marginal or neglected sectors of the cities. Nevertheless, in recent years there have been numerous examples of how waterfronts have been recovered for the enjoyment of their communities. The following paper explores a methodology in which a public space system in a historic center can be preserved and upgraded along with the development or improvement of its riverfront, acting as its structuring backbone. Taking the historic center of Arequipa, Peru, as a case study, the article proposes a territorial analysis model and a methodological approach that allows understanding the way in which the river landscape is conceived, used, and managed as a territory as well as its relationship with other public spaces in the historic center. The methodological approach is mixed, starting from a documentary review of how the open space system used to be integrated to the river in the past, a relationship that was lost during the modernization. Then, by reviewing other case studies of the continent and the analysis of interfaces around the river basin, a management system of public spaces is proposed, through 4 axes of action: the development of a monumental historical space and value system, economic productivity, environmental quality, and inter-institutional management.