Sustainable Latin American Cities? Evaluation of the Sustainability of the City of Puebla (Mexico) using indicators

The urbanization process in Latin America is reaching an unprecedented speed. In this context, achieving the sustainability of Latin American cities is a strong challenge to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed at the Summit held by the United Nations Organization in 2015. Sustainability assessment acquires a growing recognition as a diagnostic tool to move towards the ecological, social, economic and political objectives of sustainable development. Based on background studies, this paper proposes to evaluate the urban and environmental sustainability of the City of Puebla (Mexico) on the intra-urban scale in order to identify territorial contrasts that are manifested in the quality of life of its inhabitants. Founded on the indicators proposed in the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative of the Inter-American Development Bank, a Sustainability Index (SI) was constructed and complemented with the analysis of the results of the Prosperous Cities Initiative (2016) and the Sustainable Cities Index (2018). It is worth mentioning that the favorable and unfavorable conditions of the SI are presented mainly in the peri-urban area of the city, exhibiting territorial contrasts, such is the case of the colonies belonging to the municipalities of San Pablo del Monte, Ocoyucan, San Pedro Cholula, San Andrés Cholula and Puebla. It also reflects a strong differentiation of conditions in terms of sustainability between the center and the periphery of the city. The results obtained are expected to deepen the integration of policies for present and future generations leading to the Sustainable Development Goals at the local level.Fil: Zulaica, Maria Laura. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Arquitectura, Urbanismo y Diseño. Instituto de Hábitat y Medio Ambiente; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Galindo, Emilia Lara. Colegio de Tlaxcala Ac; MéxicoFil: Flores Domínguez, Ángel David. Colegio de Tlaxcala Ac; Méxic

Territorial equity measurement in Buenos Aires Province (Argentina)

Districts with large urban centers are demonstrative of the territorial inequalities that exist in the "urban-rural continuum", where most services are concentrated in the urban spaces. These disparities hinder territorial equity, which is understood as the geographical configuration that guarantees all its inhabitants the same conditions of access to a good quality of life.The aim of this chapter is to analyze territorial equity in the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina), based on the study of different indicators of quality of life and sustainability, and measured at the district level. The methodology used was based on the analysis of indicators through statistical methods and geographic information systems.Territorial equity will be measured through the analysis of indicators that integrate the dimensions Education, Water and Health, Dwelling, Economic Activity and Employment, Communication and Connectivity, and Environment, which characterize the objective quality of life. Data sources applied correspond to the National Census of Population, Homes and Housing (INDEC, 2010), digital elevation models and monthly precipitation data (period 1963-2012), and reports from the Ombudsman´s Office of the Nation (2010) and the Ombudsman of the province of Buenos Aires (2018).The results show the presence of territorial inequalities in relation to the quality of life of the population, especially with regard to Water and Health services, Dwelling, and Communications and Connectivity. Inequalities that result from territorial processes such as agricultural development, with the consequent rural depopulation, the leaving of the activity by small producers, environmental risk from the increased use of chemical inputs, and the advancement of private neighborhoods and the growth of average cities, especially in districts near the Metropolitan Region of Buenos Aires.Fil: Auer, Alejandra Denise. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Instituto de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Mikkelsen, Claudia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Instituto de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Ares, Sofía Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Instituto de Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales; Argentin