Juan Pablo Celemín

Proposal and application of an environmental quality index for the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, Argentina

The development and use of indicators and indices is increasingly necessary to understand and properly size matters connected with the living conditions of the population at different levels. In Argentina, however, there is delay in the production of environmental indices in relation to others associated with social and economic variables. To fill this gap this paper proposes the development of an Environmental Quality Index (EQI) composed of 23 variables grouped into three indicators: (1) nature-based recreational resources; (2) socially constructed recreational resources; and (3) environmental problems. The index is applied to the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires (Argentina) at a municipal level. The mapping of the environmental contrasts and spatial inequities of this megalopolis indicates the utility of the index which can also be used to formulate appropriate policies for environmental planning.

Análisis territorial de las condiciones de habitabilidad en el periurbano de la ciudad de Mar del Plata (Argentina), a partir de la construcción de un índice y de la aplicación de métodos de asociación espacial

The complex and spontaneous conversion process of rural land in urban areas result in the formation of an interface area of high social and environmental vulnerability. This paper aimed to define living conditions in suburban Mar del Plata through an index that shows the relation between habitat and inhabit. The employment of local indicators of spatial autocorrelation resulted in two maps: cluster and significance maps that allowed the disintegration of the spatial autocorrelation index thus expanding the analytical approach of the study area. The application of this methodology is of great interest in the periurban studies since it detects areas where social end environmental contrasts affect the quality of life of the population.

Spatial Segregation and Quality of Life: Empirical Analysis of Medium-Sized Cities of Buenos Aires Province

In Latin America, there are few empirical studies that analyze the spatial segregation and quality of life at intra-urban scales and the existing association between the two categories. Neighborhood spatial configuration influences human behavior because the population is segregated in a systematic, not random, pattern. This research measures spatial segregation and quality of life in two midsize cities of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, by evaluating from a statistical and geographical point of view how the variations in spatial segregation impact the quality-of-life index. Thematic mapping and scattered plots allowed us to visualize the spatial arrangement of residential areas according to both categories. While in both cities there is an associated pattern of distribution between the two categories, the smaller city showed a better performance.