Paper short abstract:

By focusing on the urban struggle that the residents of Valparaiso articulate in order to oppose the privatization of the former prison of Valparaiso and its transformation in a global cultural hub, the paper aims to evaluate the implications that the activation of citizen has over the reformulation and politicization of the concept of heritage.

Paper long abstract:

The production of the urban space reflects not only the forms of power, but also those of counter-power. By focusing on the urban struggle that the residents of Valparaiso articulate in order to oppose the privatization of the former prison of Valparaiso and its transformation in a global cultural hub, we examines how the vision of Valparaiso as a heritage city is conceived, produced and contested.

Proposing an alternative reading of the local silenced legacy and strategically using the city heritage status as a frame endorsing their claims, the movement for the defence of the Valparaiso former prison articulates a powerful resistance, counteracting standardization and commodification in urban redevelopment projects.The paper aims to evaluate the implications that the activation of citizen has over the production of the city space and the

reformulation and politicization of the concept of heritage.