Sustainability of community spaces in informal settlements: the case of ecuavoley courts in Quito

Community spaces in informal settlements endure and evolve despite the absence of institutional support, sustained by social networks, economic exchanges, and cultural traditions. This contrasts with formal urban public spaces, which depend on municipal financing and structured planning to remain relevant. Yet how community spaces in informal settlements function, adapt, and sustain over time remains underexplored. Understanding these dynamics offers critical insights for rethinking urban sustainability beyond formal governance structures. This study examines ecuavoley courts in Quito as socially produced spaces where sport intersects with informal economies, political negotiations, and community self-organisation. Using a qualitative case study with ethnographic methods, including participant observation, interviews, and focus groups in three informal neighbourhoods, the research draws on fieldwork conducted across three periods between 2016 and 2023 to explore the mechanisms that sustain these courts, the challenges they face, and their implications for urban planning. Findings reveal that ecuavoley courts are more than recreational facilities. They function as vital infrastructures of everyday life, yet remain vulnerable to removal or repurposing under urban development policies that overlook their social and cultural significance. The study shows that the endurance of these spaces depends on embedded practices of collective organisation, informal economies, and cultural meaning. Recognising these dynamics matters for urban strategies, as it points to the risks of displacing locally sustained infrastructures and the value of supporting adaptive practices that communities already use to keep them functional. These insights can inform urban strategies that seek to build inclusive, resilient cities in line with SDG 11.