Tianguis del Chopo: Urban space of regulation/transgression

Abstract

This article analyzes the Tianguis Cultural del Chopo (TCC) in Mexico City as an urban public space that was historically shaped by social groups with different interests and sociocultural backgrounds. Known for its transgressive character (especially rock music), the tcc was able to stabilize over time by negotiating internal and external orders of regulation. With a pragmatist theoretical approach, the article explores these multiscalar regulative processes. Using a historical and ethnographic methodology (community archives, participant observation and interviews), it illustrates how the TCC was able to occupy the street for four decades.