La polisemia de lo común en el espacio público urbano

Abstract

The concept of common things can show several meanings in diverse cultural contexts, constituting a clear example of polysemy, particularly in the Spanish language. The use of this term is particularly complex in the field of architecture and the urban phenomenon. There are not many places where the common things and its polysemy are perceived more than in the urban public space. This work tries to bring up that polysemy by means of a double reflection from the social and the architectural point of view. The result is that we should not interpret the common things in public space as trivial, but as a formal and effective response that architecture and urbanism can propose to make clearer the social function of urban space, for the sake of its recognition by citizens. © 2017 Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. All rights reserved.