Between hallways and people: observations in the Central Market of San José, Costa Rica

Abstract

This research delved into how the infrastructure of food establishments in the Central Market of San José influences the interactions between sellers and consumers. Based on a comparative analysis identified between the northern and southern sectors of the market, elements such as vertiginousness, familiarity and concurrence were studied. To have carried out this study, the methods of ethnographic observation and social cartography were applied with three different phases of observation carried out in May and June 2023. To illustrate the distribution of the three types of establishments identified, a visual product was offered that shows the distribution and concentration of these businesses in the northern and southern sectors, which allows us to find and analyze patterns of behavior around the types of infrastructure proposed. The key finding of this research was that there are significant contrasts between the northern and southern sectors of the market and that these contrasts are related to the infrastructure of the food establishments. It was concluded that the infrastructure directly influences how an urban space is perceived and experienced, so this is a determining factor in the social and commercial dynamics of the Central Market.