Autonomy, Centrality, and Persistence in Place: The Indigenous Movement and the Right to the City in Quito

Indigenous communal activists in Quito challenge conventional urban planning by advocating for communal self-management and the authority of local assemblies over urbanization, aligning with but also critiquing Lefebvrian 'right to the city' theory. The study reveals tensions between collective power to reshape urban processes and fixed city structures, as well as debates on achieving 'centrality'—whether through concentrated urban centers or decentralized alternatives. Ethnographic research with active comuna supporters highlights the limits of constitutional rights in practice, emphasizing the need for a nuanced theory that accounts for diverse political responses to urbanization. This work contributes to understanding indigenous-led urban struggles and their implications for democratic space production.

Rayner, J. (2021). Autonomy, Centrality, and Persistence in Place: The Indigenous Movement and the Right to the City in Quito. City & Society, 33(1), 147–170. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/ciso.12390