Inhabiting waiting spaces: an analysis of the spatial production of four bus stops on University Avenue modified after the expansion of the Metropolitano

Abstract

Urban expansion in Lima displaced a large part of the population to the so-called outskirts of the city, intensifying the demand for a transportation system that could move them to central points of commercial and work activities. In response to this problem, the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima (MML) implemented the Metropolitan transport service. This was inaugurated in 2010, although the implementation of a section to the district of Carabayllo remained pending. It was not until 2023 that the service was expanded, modifying the physical structure of a section of Avenida Universitaria and its bus stops. This research focuses on four bus stops altered by the aforementioned expansion. It analyzes the new physical layout of these spaces, based on concepts proposed by Lefebvre, and their relationship with the “urban living” developed by pedestrians, street vendors, and day laborers. Using participant observation methodology, carried out on two dates and during two time slots (7:00–8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.), with a 20-minute stay at each bus stop, physical modifications were identified, such as the absence of sidewalks and waiting facilities; daily dynamics of residents, such as the interaction between pedestrians and bus drivers to determine which bus to board; as well as tensions between formal transportation regulations and their consequences on social life. Although the MML's urban planning removed basic elements from the bus stops, making waiting conditions more difficult, residents continued to use them as bus stops. This persistence led the MML to modify them again in 2025, implementing sidewalks that would improve waiting conditions. This shows that the authorities cannot ignore the experience of the space and are forced to remodel their planning based on the uses of the inhabitants.