Percepciones de los comunes sobre el patrimonio cultural edificado. Caso centro histórico de Cuenca, Ecuador

This paper analyses the (common) citizen's perceptions of the built cultural heritage. The value given by the inhabitant of a territory to its heritage is not static, but changes depending on multiple factors. The exploration of variables around perception is a key task in order to foster the breadth of methods that can be combined for the management of cultural heritage. In 1999, the Historical Center of Cuenca was declared by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site, however, there is excessive concern about the object to the detriment of the subject. The objective of the research is to explore the citizens' perceptions of the built heritage. The focus of the study was mixed, qualitative from a focus group used for the construction of variables and also for the discursive contrast with the quantitative elements. The qualitative part was based on the exploration of hierarchical and grouped categorical variables. The perception of cultural heritage has a high relationship with historical aspects, it is mostly associated with monumental and ancient buildings, and there is ambiguity in belonging. The official discourse on conservation among experts generates more conservation problems than the common citizen. Keywords: Built Cultural Heritage, Common Perception, Historical Center of Cuenca.