The Urban Pedagogy
How public and private interests in Havana are working together to create a truly community-centric space.
Calle Calzada is a road that runs parallel to the ocean in Havana. It’s busy, residential, and like many busy residential areas in Havana, it’s in a casual state of disrepair. On a scorching Monday afternoon, I meet urbanist Kiovet Sánchez at ‘Calzada y F’ – the busy junction at which Calle Calzada meets Calle F.
It’s a functional address, typical of how Havanans navigate the city, but it doesn’t do justice to what can be found on this lively street corner.
Kiovet is joined by his colleagues, Samuel Puente and Oscar Enrique Mendía Veliz, to introduce me to their project: the Urban Pedagogy.
First things first, what are we doing here?
Kiovet: Right now, what we’re looking at is a children’s playpark, at the very early stages of our project to transform it into something more.
We have a vision for this to be a community meeting and learning space for all members of the neighbourhood. To do that, we’re following a set methodology very closely, where we involve the community at all stages.
So how are you each involved?
Oscar: I’m working on the private business side. We have a very strong link with this project between public and private funding. For me, I’m working in a gastronomic business, and my aim is to establish a food and ice cream facility here on the site. Part of the revenue from the business will go back into the park. I see it as part of the business’ social responsibility.
Samuel: Kiovet and I work on the public side. We’re urbanists from Ad Urbis, and our role is to execute our methodology so that the space develops in the right way for the community.
Where are you up to with the project?
Oscar: It’s very early stages still. The first phase was an activation phase, where we were just clearing up and working with what we already had here. It was very hands on. I was out welding the playground equipment to make it safe, we also brought the boundary walls down to make the space more accessible and visible.
One of the biggest additions was the sea containers. These only arrived in October, and it was a big challenge just trying to obtain them. They came directly from spending 30 years in the sea, so it’s good for our sustainability measures. But it’s been a big job trying to clean them up. We’re still painting them now, and the designs are based on the natural ecosystem unique to Cuba.
Samuel: You can see the progress with the activation phase so far, and there’s still a bit to do. We’re transforming the sea container spaces into food service and toilet facilities. We also have this drainage system, which we’re due to fill in this week. The idea is that drainage water flows through here, and with our planting strategy, the plants over the top will cleanse the water.
Kiovet: We also need to start introducing shade. Eventually our trees will grow to provide cover, but that takes time. In the meantime, we want to consult the community on how best to give that shade. That’s in our next stage, which is the planning stage.
How does the planning stage work?
Samuel: Planning is all about listening to the community. We’ve already started this process, hosting consultation sessions with people from the neighbourhood, to get their feedback on the space.
It’s also about observing how the space is being used. For example, we can see that this space is already in much more active use now than it was before the activation stage. We also notice that it is used more often by boys than girls, and that different age groups use it at different times of day. In the early evening, it’s used a lot by teenage boys. This is good, but we want to make sure the space is open to all.
Have you had any difficulties getting the community to participate in the consultation?
Kiovet: In general, not really. Adults and parents are very engaged with what we’re doing. They can see the improvement we’ve made, and they want to be involved.
For children and young adults, it’s a bit more challenging. Our first consultation with the teenagers was held on a Saturday morning. They were all tired and silly from the Friday night, so for the next one we’ll try a different time.
What are the main obstacles you’re facing with this project?
Samuel: The main challenge is the lines on each side of the park. People queue here for the shops, but the queues are often long and people get irritable. There’s bad language, sometimes they use the park as a toilet, and sometimes there are fights. It’s a difficult environment for a park, and we need to think about solutions for that.
Oscar: There’s also the challenge of acquiring the materials we need. There is no paint shop or DIY store in Cuba, and supplies are difficult to come by. I’ve had to be quite creative in where I source everything. You could call it bootleg placemaking.
So what does the future look like for this space?
Kiovet: That’s the beauty of it: we don’t know! We let the people decide. Throughout the planning process, we’ll listen to and observe the community’s needs, and we’ll respond to that. We’ve already heard that the children would like swings and slides added to the play park.
Samuel: For us, the priority is to create somewhere that’s inclusive of the whole community. It can be used as a playground, or a meeting space, or a classroom, or a rest space, for everyone. And hopefully it’s somewhere that we can learn from in Havana. That’s why we call it the Urban Pedagogy.
