Perceiving new urban spaces in Buenos Aires. An analysis of the Federal Housing Plan, from the users’ perspective

This paper presents the results of a finalized research project, focusing on the neighbourhoods belonging to the Federal Housing Construction Programme in Greater Buenos Aires. An analysis of the housing policies is proposed, the users’ opinions of their housing, neighbourhood and urban environment, as a central point. Our starting point is the theoretical perspective of the living space, in particular by the contributions made by Bourdieu, who set out an analytical perspective of the relationship between the social and spatial structures. The methodology used was based on an analysis of secondary sources (State documents or results tables), surveys, interviews and focus groups in some neighborhoods and municipalities in Buenos Aires. The analysis was complemented with a georeferenced study of State interventions regarding housing in the selected areas. The paper is organised as follows: firstly, the housing programme in question is characterised, and this is followed by a recording of the inhabitants’ opinions of the scale of living.