“Prima che si urbanizzi” – Conservazione, urbanizzazione e turistificazione a Cusco

This article examines selected contemporary urban processes in the Peruvian city of Cusco. In particular, it studies the case of a private protected area located within the city, the Santa Maria Ecological Servitude (Servidumbre Ecológica), analyzing the phenomena of touristification and planetary urbanization and framing it within the socio-spatial context of a mountain city. To do this, we employ an interdisciplinary methodology that combines rigorous techniques, analytical tools, and theoretical contributions from anthropology and geography, mainly following the city profile approach. In this article, we argue that the ongoing urban processes in Cusco affect both the concentrated and the extended area. The main driver of this urban growth is tourism, which is no longer exclusively oriented to cultural heritage but also outdoor leisure, particularly in the higher altitude zones. The latter implies a higher demand for urban and rural accommodation and the construction of infrastructures. This urban and tourist growth increasingly puts pressure on the Servidumbre ecológica