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Boundaries as a methodological tool to understand interface territories in drylands
In Latin America, urban expansion in rural areas produces urban-rural interface territories and emphasizes socio-spatial problems. This is particularly relevant in drylands, such as San Juan (Argentina), due to the impact of the physical-biological structure on the territorial configuration. In the province, this dynamic is mostly associated with the construction of state-operated housing. Although a regulatory framework is being developed to restrict the unlimited consumption of agro- productive land due to the advance of urbanization, the tools used fail to approach the particularities of interface territories. In this context, we selected a case study in the Metropolitan Area of San Juan, in order to elaborate a methodological proposal that presents material and symbolic boundaries as a tool for land use planning. We applied a mostly qualitative methodological strategy and used techniques such as semi- structured interview, field observation and documentary analysis. The results indicate the relevance of developing territorial research from a multidimensional and multiscale perspective that allows us to focus on the singularities of the urban-rural interface areas. In this sense, we consider that the identification of boundaries is useful for the definition of territorial management units in drylands.
Keywords:
Material boundaries, symbolic boundaries, territorial planning, territory, urban-rural interface
Blanco Avila, A. M., Sales, R. G., & Dalla Torre, J. (2021). Boundaries as a methodological tool to understand interface territories in drylands. Revista De Urbanismo, (44), 166–181. https://doi.org/10.5354/0717-5051.2021.60134