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SUMMARY:Collaborating uphill: Towards participatory trail governance in an
  urban mountain park in Chile - CHRISTIAN BLANCO
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam:20260916T143400
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DTSTAMP:20260918T121335Z
UID:pretalx-crbam-2026-7YA7D3@pretalx.com
DESCRIPTION:Parque Metropolitano de Santiago Cerro San Cristóbal -one of 
 22 urban parks managed by Parquemet and exceeding 700 hectares- constitute
 s a major ecological and recreational asset within a densely populated met
 ropolis. Located across a system of six urban hills\, the park combines en
 vironmental value with intensive public use. Its steep terrain and extensi
 ve network of formal roads and both formal and informal trails make it par
 ticularly attractive for diverse cycling practices\, from gravity-oriented
  mountain biking to endurance and recreational riding\, while also support
 ing pedestrians\, runners and other recreational users with differing expe
 ctations and risk perceptions. In this context\, building collaborative go
 vernance has often felt like a process of collaborating uphill.\n\nThis co
 ntribution examines the Mesa de Trabajo established in 2025 between Parque
 met and cycling communities as the most formal attempt to date to stabiliz
 e collaboration within this multi-user landscape. Previous interactions be
 tween riders and park authorities had enabled trail improvements and isola
 ted initiatives\, yet remained fragmented\, informal and unable to consoli
 date over time. The Mesa introduces a more structured space organized thro
 ugh thematic commissions addressing safety and coexistence\, events and in
 frastructure development\, communication and participatory planning. Despi
 te limited formal progress\, the initiative has gathered over 150 particip
 ants\, enabled informal agreements for events\, volunteer trail maintenanc
 e and clean-up activities\, dialogue on signage standardization and shared
  safety protocols.\n\nSignificant challenges remain. Only eight mountain b
 iking trails currently some kind of formal recognition\, while community m
 apping has identified at least 37 routes requiring institutional definitio
 n. Intermittent communication channels\, leadership turnover\, uneven part
 icipation\, gender unbalance\, weakening engagement and internal diversity
  among cycling disciplines and commitment levels constrain consolidation. 
 Reputational stigma toward mountain biking in urban settings and limited p
 ublic understanding of multi-user trail dynamics further complicate legiti
 macy.\n\nWhile participants have attempted to familiarize themselves with 
 international frameworks such as IMBA and ITRS\, translating external mode
 ls into locally viable governance arrangements remains difficult and no co
 ntact with international peer organization has been attempted. The case hi
 ghlights how participation advances through incremental\, negotiated steps
  and steps backwards\, rather than linear institutionalization\, in a cont
 ext without a strong history of community participation. By sharing our in
 terpretation of this experience\, the session seeks to reflect collectivel
 y on how initiatives that have long been collaborating uphill might begin 
 to move downhill — gaining coordination speed\, legitimacy and stability
  without losing inclusiveness or environmental responsibility.\n\nAuthor: 
 Christian Blanco\nMember of the Mesa de Trabajo de Ciclistas con Parquemet
 \nPhD (c) in Sociology\, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences\, Heidel
 berg University\nPrimary email: chblancoj@gmail.com\nAlternative email: ch
 ristian.blanco@uni-heidelberg.de
LOCATION:Room 2 (Lecture Room 2.1)
URL:https://pretalx.com/crbam-2026/talk/7YA7D3/
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