EDEN ELAMWORK | ABOUT

REGLA |  Participatory Design Research

Given the Cuban economy’s reliance on tourism, how might small businesses, local governments, and citizens strengthen the local economy without compromising the integrity of their lived spaces or cultural heritage?






Background:

Regla is a municipality that sits at the bottom of Havana Bay, Cuba. It is an industrial suburb with a rich cultural history, specifically related to the Afro-Cuban religious practices that call the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Regla (Church of Our Lady of Regla) home. In 2018, the Cuban government announced a National Action Plan that highlighted Regla as a target territory for development. Centro Bahia, a creative center, is working on projects to meet the request of the central government to make Regla a flourishing municipality that will have a robust local economy due to a hopeful influx of tourism.

Objective: Engage community members in Regla to understand their vision for future development. Analyze the insights and propose community-informed ideas for what’s next.

Research Questions:
  • How is development managed and executed on the local level? Where does the decision making power reside?
  • When residents of Regla consider their future, how do they want their municipality to serve them? On their terms, what would the future of Regla be? 


Role: Participatory Designer, Field Researcher 

Team: Felipe Dulzaides, Jorge Peña Díaz, Ayleen Robaina

Date: Summer 2022 

Partners: Centro Bahia, Museo de Regla, Casa de Las Americas





Design-Led Research (key question: what might Regla become in 5,10,15 years?)
Community Activation (music festival with community prompts & probes)
Historical Analysis: What has development in Regla looked like up to this point?
Ideation Session (w/ architects and local leaders)



OUTPUT
Mapping:
 Ideal Location for a Community Center (based on participatory field research)
 


Insights:


  • Historically, music has brought people together in Regla. Music is a vehicle through with social change happens and should be prioritized in future engagements. 
  • Residents are interested in the technological advancement of their municipality. Most clearly seen through the popularity of the wifi park - residents want some of the perks found in Havana closer to home.
  • Community leaders are interested in fast and efficient micro-changes, under the premise that the bureaucracy of the central government impedes rapid progress. They are looking for strategies to mobilize the community to act sooner rather than later.
  • The Church of Our Lady Regla is heavily used by locals and is an important religious and cultural institution; future tourist attractions should be found elsewhere throughout the municipality (i.e. museums, restaurants, the ferry, the waterfront).


Architectural Renderings (for a new community center on the Bahia)