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

Authors

  • Fernando Pauta Calle Universidad de Cuenca
  • Jaap van der Zee Universidad de Cuenca

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18537/est.v001.n001.06

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.

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Author Biographies

Fernando Pauta Calle, Universidad de Cuenca

Dean of the Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de la Universidad de Cuenca

Jaap van der Zee, Universidad de Cuenca

Jaap van der Zee is a senior lecturer in rural development at the Universidad Politecnica, Nicaragua and a freelance consultant involved in related research. His areas of specialisation are: land evaluation, land use planning, and environmental planning in the tropics under semiarid and sub-humid conditions; soil conservation research, planning, and implementation; and rural smallholder food security and economic development.

References

Gómez Orea, Domingo. 2008. “Ordenación Territorial”. Ed. Mundi-prensa, 2° Edición. Madrid.

ZONNEVELD, I.S. 1972. “Land evaluation and Land (scape) science”. ITC Textbook of Photointerpretation Vol.VII. Enschede-Holanda: ITC (International Institute of Aerial Survey and Earth Sciences).

González, Mónica y Ximena Salazar. 2011. “Plan de Ordenación Territorial del cantón Déleg”. Trabajo del Curso-Taller de la Maestría de Ordenación Territorial, Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de la Universidad de Cuenca.

Published

2012-06-18

How to Cite

Pauta Calle, F., & van der Zee, J. (2012). Structural units and their importance in the management of the Ecuadorian territory. Estoa. Journal of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, 1(1), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.18537/est.v001.n001.06