This work explores the intangible dimension of urban heritage as a key yet often overlooked component in the configuration and preservation of contemporary cities. Moving beyond the traditional focus on physical structures and monumental legacy, the study investigates how memory, symbolic value, and everyday cultural practices contribute to the construction of heritage as a living, socially embedded phenomenon. Drawing from case studies in Buenos Aires, the research addresses how public spaces, particularly those marked by historical and emotional significance, function as repositories of collective meaning and are shaped by both institutional narratives and community engagement. Emphasis is placed on the methodological challenge of capturing intangible heritage, proposing tools that integrate participatory mapping, oral histories, and performative practices as valid forms of urban documentation and interpretation. The research critiques conventional heritage policies that prioritize architectural conservation over lived experience and advocates for a more inclusive and pluralistic framework capable of recognizing contested histories, ephemeral events, and diverse identities within the urban fabric. In this context, landscape emerges not only as a spatial product but as a cultural medium through which intangible values are anchored, transmitted, and reactivated. The thesis offers a conceptual and methodological approach for rethinking heritage in Latin American cities, urging urban planners, architects, and cultural institutions to recognize the social affectivity of place and to promote heritage practices that are responsive to local knowledge, memory, and use.
Gonçalves Guazzelli, B., 2023. The Intangible Dimension of Urban Heritage. Doctoral thesis. Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, University of Buenos Aires.
