Heritage and Affective Resignification of Playa Ancha Park – Valparaíso, from the Local Community Perspective

Abstract

This article presents the results of the project “Memory of the University of Chile's Site in Playa Ancha”, focused on the historiographic and testimonial reconstruction of the territory once occupied by the former Playa Ancha Park in Valparaíso, Chile. Through a participatory methodology that integrated documentary and oral sources, as well as community workshops, the study analyzes heritage-making processes, the socio-spatial transformations of the area, and the emotions associated with its disappearance as a public space. The research identifies a territorial and symbolic rupture caused by the establishment of institutions such as the University of Chile and the Naval Academy, along with a strong community demand for access, institutional openness, and the symbolic restitution of heritage values. The article proposes a critical resignification of local heritage based on lived experience and affective memory, suggesting implications for university management and the design of community engagement policies.