Planning deficits, low density and slow occupation: the production of urban land for residential use in the Metropolitan Area of Santa Fe (2010-2020)

Abstract

The work characterizes the urban land development operations for residential use carried out between 2010 and 2020 in towns of the Santa Fe Metropolitan Area, conurbated with the capital city.  It produces information from internet publications on development of lots for open and closed neighborhoods and from laws that regulate land use and define urbanization requirements.  It is complemented by interviews with urban land developers and technical officials from local States and with satellite images from Google Earth to observe the occupation of the lots. The results report a low-density urban expansion, mostly in closed neighborhoods, with a deficit provision of collective equipment and services and slow occupation of the lots. Local States assume a key role given the absence of planning and taxation instruments that avoid these growth patterns or try to channel them.