- Two urban Theories in the same City    389 kb by    Faria Larrazábal, Carmen & Bracho de M., Diana & Paredes de L., María | diabracho@cantv.net    Short Outline The research revises the status quo of the private planning action in Maracaibo. It analyzes the way in which urban economy has established different realizations of the space as place, distorting the cultural identity inherited from the Spanish. Abstract Two urban theories in the same city.- Maracaibo, Venezuela’s oil exploitation center, organized since the XVII century its urban structure through the Spanish traditional scheme, which weaving presented a relatively uniform weft. The growth dynamics of the XX century contributed with new configurations integrating different paradigms that coexisted and outlines a new spatial order expressed by the informality of its production, and the difference of uses and quality of the construction; where parts, not excludent among themselves, added codes and meanings to their citizens collective memory. The recent urban dynamics registrates the multiplication of private production housing compounds, which features interrupt the traditional weaving. This typology, with advantages relative to security and privacy, seduced the different users and stimulated the public sector to adjust and reproduce the scheme for low income groups. The research revises the status quo of the planning action executed by the private sector that has provoqued the social-economical fragmentation of the city. It analyzes the way that urban economy has established different formalazations of the space (public and private) as place, distorting the cultural identity inherited from the Spanish outline: the frame structure vs the egocentric cell. The first conclusions reveal how decisions of middle class small collectives, with resources to access the formal real state market in the search of better conditions of security, status and quality of life; produce different realities that intend to construct their own identity. The study uses the planimetric analysis and the direct observation of the urban phenomenon, and points out the importance of the revision of the primary documents as aid instruments to outline the changes that have been produced; which will be useful, not only for the comprehension of the processes and its critical theory, but also for teaching, professional practice and city planning. Keywords close urbanism in Maracaibo,social-economic fragmentation, the egocentric cell Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2006: Cities between Integration and Disintegration   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper