Affordance of urban space is given by dynamics between social systems

Abstract

People engage in activities that align with the practices through which social systems assign meaning to objects and things, thereby characterizing urban spaces. These systems, which are comprised of user-actors, exert the greatest influence on the urban affordance that stimulates human behaviors. The current research explores this contingent relationship through a documentary review and direct observation of Ignacio Díaz Square in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. Within this context, three social systems hold significant presence: the parish clergy, the municipal council, and the association of artists and merchants. Each of these systems assigns meaning to objects and things within the public space, while also operating and continue its practices that delimited the diverse affordances of the square, thereby allowing certain user behaviors. This is the conclusive hypothesis. Understanding this contexturization of affordance is valuable in the design of urban spaces.