Cuadernos de Historia Económica (only in Spanish, Notebooks on Economic History) - The history of La Matuna in Cartagena de Indias, 1890-2022
The series of Cuadernos de Historia Económica (only in Spanish, Notebooks on Economic History) is a publication of Banco de la República in Cartagena. The opinions contained in this document are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not commit Banco de la República or its Board of Directors.
El proceso de urbanización de La Matuna está asociado a dos aspectos: los cambios económicos y sociales; y la evolución de la planificación urbana. Los auges y declives económicos determinaron la demanda por suelo urbano y los planes de urbanismo afectaron la dinámica de urbanización del sector.
Abstract
La Matuna is an area located in the heart of the historic center of Cartagena de Indias, between El Centro, San Diego and Getsemaní, which makes it an area of special interest for the city. Despite its location and some constructions that occurred at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, urbanization is relatively recent as it formally began in 1952. This document describes the urban development of La Matuna between 1890 and 2022, explaining the changes that occurred and the main factors that influenced its evolution. The results show that the urban development of La Matuna seems to be associated with two fundamental aspects of the city: (i) economic and social changes; and (ii) the evolution in urban planning. On the one hand, economic booms and busts determined the demand for urban land throughout the analyzed period. In addition, the urban planning plans also affected the urbanization dynamics of the sector due to the stimuli established in the urban standards defined during the years of study for the different sectors of the city.
