Transformations in the public space in the face of the COVID-19 crisis: contributions of some emerging experiences in Latin America

The inequality is a structural characteristic of Latin American societies, which have been maintained and reproduced even in periods of economic growth. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown once again the fragility of the system and its balance, especially in urban environments with increases in inequality and vulnerability. The public space has been an important urban scenario in the crisis, going from being a restricted structure, to be the platform that allows the transformations towards a "new normality", structuring the intervention of emerging forms (D.I.Y. Do It Yourself, Placemaking, and tactical urbanism) as transient and adaptive methods. Implementing a methodology based on documentary review, recognition of experience, and direct observation, this article discusses how these experiences have been useful instruments to mediate with the pandemic, considering their structural and permanent use in public space.