Structural units and their importance in the management of the Ecuadorian territory

Abstract

The objective of this study is to show the conceptual and methodological utility that has the definition of "structural units" in the determination of the reception capacity of the physical environment for human activities, in the framework of the drafting of the territorial organization plans. For this purpose, in the introduction is located as a starting point one of the methodologies proposed by Professor Domingo Gómez Orea and the restrictions presented for that purpose from a more systematic approach.
Town and country planning is defined as a context, the methodological process are set out for the elaboration of a land management plan and in particular for the establishment of the capacity of the physical environment and as part of this component, the aforementioned structural units, but also the "environmental units", highlighting the advantages that has in principle to find the latter, following the method of Gómez Orea.
Then the structural units are conceptualized and explained how can be defined at different levels of detail. Is then exposed the environmental function of structural units and their difference with the environmental and also its socio-economic function. Finally shown its definition with a specific application. The main result points to the discernment of the reception capacity of the physical environment for human activities becomes more appropriate, rigorous and consequent with its features if it relies on structural units, without prejudice to the subsequent definition, with intentions of analysis and diagnosis of the environmental unit suggested by Gómez Orea in attention to activities that support eventually that medium.

Keywords: Methodology, structural units, territorial organization, Ecuador.