“Inhabiting” is the name of the panel held as part of the Congress of the Future, which brought together architects and urban planning experts, both nationally and internationally, to discuss how we can create friendlier cities where people are at the center. Nicolás Cruz, architect, was the national card of the panel and commented on his experience in two of his emblematic projects: Fundación Junto al Barrio and Fundación Base Pública. Cruz began his presentation by stating that “the great power of architecture is to build spaces that make human coexistence possible and this is the challenge we have in humanity”. According to his words, cities offer unique possibilities for interaction among citizens, interactions that promote quality of life for the people who live in them; and, in turn, the neighborhood is where the city begins to be built, so therein lies the importance of approaching work with neighborhoods. Through specific cases, such as that of the Ramón Cordero neighborhood in Valparaíso, where he experienced the active participation of the neighbors, he demonstrated that it is possible to generate projects that improve the quality of life of the people if the community is involved in them. He emphasized that “organized neighbors live the neighborhood life they deserve” and that “the success of neighborhood transformation lies in the community”. According to his experience, there are four fundamental criteria to be considered when working with the community: Therefore, the transformation of our neighborhoods is possible if we work with the community, leaving aside the maxim that the development of our country is determined by the economic index, to pay attention to aspects such as participation and the commitment of each citizen to the construction of the country.
