María Gutiérrez Bascón

María Gutiérrez Bascón is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Cultures, Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Latin American Studies research group, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, and Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies. Her work centers on urban transformations in post-socialist Havana, Cuba, examining spatial justice and community-led heritage practices.

Her research spans Urban Studies, Heritage Studies, and Latin American Studies with a decolonial lens, focusing on Afro-Cuban communities' struggles for urban space, gentrification impacts, and tourism-driven transformations. She investigates how marginalized groups reclaim cultural heritage through grassroots initiatives while challenging colonial legacies in Havana's urban landscape.

Recent publications reveal a cohesive trajectory analyzing decolonial heritage practices across Cuban cities, emphasizing community stewardship of Black monuments and urban memory. Her work bridges post-socialist urban theory with sustainability frameworks, highlighting how informal networks shape Havana's future amid architectural innovation and socio-spatial inequalities.

She leads the Academy of Finland-funded project "Postsocialist Assemblages: Urban Redevelopment, Spatial Justice and the Right to the City in Havana" (2022-2025), examining urban redevelopment through intersectional justice frameworks.

Embedded in Helsinki's interdisciplinary urban research ecosystem, she collaborates with the Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies on sustainability projects while connecting with global decolonial and critical urban studies networks through fieldwork in Cuba.