70 años de decisiones: La transformación del Cementerio Central de Bogotá (1953 - 2023)

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis analyzes the transformation of Bogotá’s Central Cemetery between 1953 and 2023, aiming to assess the impact of decisions made by the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá on this iconic funerary site. Through an action-research methodology, the study examines public policies, urban planning, physical interventions, and institutional omissions that have shaped the current state of the cemetery. Three key moments are identified: mid-20th century modernization and urban expansion, interventions linked to public transportation systems such as the tranvia and trolleybus, and the recent institutional invisibilization of the cemetery in strategic city planning. The findings reveal a gradual loss of the cemetery’s symbolic and functional centrality, despite its historical, urban, and heritage value. Among the recommendations is the formulation of an integrated public policy that recognizes the Central Cemetery as a heritage node, a site of collective memory, and an active urban space. This research contributes to the reflection on funerary heritage management in urban transformation contexts and to the need for inclusive and sustainable public policy construction.