Análisis de dotación de áreas verdes públicas en la ciudad de Cuenca

Abstract

The urban green areas system constitutes a fundamental factor in the structure of the city since they are considered vital spaces within it. Their function since ancient times responds to the condition of being “the lungs of the city” because they provide cities with significant environmental benefits. However, without abandoning their main concept, these areas have adopted characteristics that allow and motivate the recreation of the inhabitants of urban centers; requiring the development criteria for their planning and location. The present work had the objective of quantifying and evaluating the system of urban green areas in the city of Cuenca. This urban center has a particular structure with morphological, physical and social characteristics of the city. Due to this, the strategies and criteria proposed in the research respond to these conditions. In order to fulfill the proposed objective, a calculation methodology was identified which studies this system in three stages. In the first stage of conceptualization, the definition, classification and coverage range of green spaces were established. In the following stage called method, the variables to evaluate were defined, as well as the parameters and instruments to obtain the data. And finally, in the last stage the analysis of all the components of the urban green areas system was carried out, to present the obtained results later. The Urban Green Index (UGI) of the city of Cuenca is 7,95 m2/ inhabitant. In addition, other results obtained are of the indexes of each typology of the green areas studied. Also, based on the different analysis (general, lands¬cape, environmental, and coverage), problems were identified that, among other aspects, show the lack of planning of this system for the peripheral areas of the city, were new residential uses are being located. The research concludes that the coverage of green areas is not balanced, and this shows the lack of space in certain areas and parishes of the city, as well as the scope of the different typologies that make up the system of green areas.