A Geohistorical Exploration Of Some Commercial Tipologies And Their Relationship With Cayalá Mini-City (Guatemala)

Abstract

The geo-historical exploration of commercial typologies (from different historical moments and geographical spaces) allowed to identify a relationship of precedence with the private mixed-use real estate projects known as mini-cities. The commercial sector of Ciudad Cayalá (Guatemala) was specifically taken as a case study. Commercial spaces and their dynamics transmit semantic ambiguity and create illusions, desires and more spatial combinations that, beyond selling a product, also sell an experience,
a moment or a memory that generates rootedness. A condensed and critical bibliographical review was carried out based on Acosta's doctoral research, which was complemented with various field works where information was collected through interviews and a photographic collection. It was concluded that the relationship of precedence does not seek to revolutionise consumer practices, but rather to recall and
re-signify past dynamics and spaces in order to sell experience and rootedness as a
marketing strategy within the framework of new consumption patterns and needs of
the contemporary city. It is a broad theme that will not close in exclusive conclusions,
but is a starting point to promote future research on the urban theme, not only from
the perspective of geography but also of architecture.