Nearly 500 years ago this was the southern edge of the city. As many city limits, it was characterized by poor and marginalized housing, dirtiness or “impurity” (from animal slaughtering or activities of “low” moral standing), and by a river that could block the entrance during heavy rain season. Today, it connects the “old” UNESCO-heritage city center with the “new” city—an urban expansion that took place at the end of the 19th century. El Vado has been marked by rural migration, economic marginalization, and limited urban infrastructure during the 19th and 20th centuries. A clear example of this is its narrow streets which were never meant for the nearly 7 000 vehicles that circulate through them every day. This has made El Vado one of Cuenca’s most polluted neighborhoods, particularly in the last decade when the car industry has more than doubled in Ecuador’s main cities. Fossil-fuelled cars that have transformed the life of the city, generating conflicting areas for pedestrian mobility and bikers in areas like El Vado, all the while increasing health risks for neighbors who live and work in the area.
Nearly 500 years ago this was the southern edge of the city. As many city limits, it was characterized by poor and marginalized housing, dirtiness or “impurity” (from animal slaughtering or activities of “low” moral standing), and by a river that could block the entrance during heavy rain season. Today, it connects the “old” UNESCO-heritage city center with the “new” city—an urban expansion that took place at the end of the 19th century. El Vado has been marked by rural migration, economic marginalization, and limited urban infrastructure during the 19th and 20th centuries. A clear example of this is its narrow streets which were never meant for the nearly 7 000 vehicles that circulate through them every day. This has made El Vado one of Cuenca’s most polluted neighborhoods, particularly in the last decade when the car industry has more than doubled in Ecuador’s main cities. Fossil-fuelled cars that have transformed the life of the city, generating conflicting areas for pedestrian mobility and bikers in areas like El Vado, all the while increasing health risks for neighbors who live and work in the area.