VALORIZATION OF THE PERI-URBAN AGRARIAN SPACE OF THE CITY OF LOJA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The object of study is the Peri-urban Agrarian Space (PAS) of the city of Loja, which is resilient to urban growth since it contains agrarian characteristics that have not been considered in the decision-making of local political bodies, impacting on the lack of inclusion of these in the different plans of development and territorial ordering that have been developed since 1960. Therefore, the investigation assumes the existence of two important aspects: first; the competition for land use established by urban expansion and agro-ecosystems located outside the urban perimeter of the city of Loja; and, second, the ignorance of the value of the PAS in relation to its multifunctionality, the latter considered the most important at the time of raising the research topic.The titling work includes a general objective and three specific objectives, supported by a non-experimental cross-sectional design with correlational-causal scope. It begins with the identification of the environmental units of each of the elements that make up the PAS of the city of Loja, to establish the different zones according to their agricultural aptitude. The productive dynamic between the PAS and the city of Loja is analyzed, as well as the assessment of these spaces according to the activities that may or may not be established according to the level of land use.The research methodology allows to meet the objectives proposed by demonstrating that the Loja PAS has great productive wealth for the variety of food products offered to the population, at the same time receiving the services of the city originating an active flow of exchange between them. The intervention of the social-environmental aspect of the research is presented in the host capacity matrix where human activities are articulated in relation to the level of land use.As a result, it is obtained that the PAS of the north-eastern and southwestern flanks of Loja is rich in agricultural matter, the western sector has suitable soils for said activity with high conservation merits, this motivates the preservation of these spaces for the continuity of This activity and the corresponding protection against the advance of the urban expansion that should be directed towards the south where the soils have Agrological Classes VII and VIII that are apt to be urbanized.   [1] Año en el que se aprueba el Plan Regulador de Loja, elaborado por el Arq. Gato Sobral, para el año 1945 se delimita el perímetro urbano de la ciudad,  1979 se crea el Departamento de Planificación, en 1985 se inicia con los estudios del Plan de Desarrollo Urbano Rural de Loja, donde se mencionan los tipos de ocupación física del suelo dentro de las cuales consta “área de suelo vacante o No urbana”  ocupada por usos agrícolas correspondiendo el 70% del área de la ciudad de Loja en ese momento. p. 22 En la actualidad ese espacio corresponde a la Zona Urbana de la ciudad de Loja. Plan de Desarrollo Urbano-Rural de Loja .1985 .I. Municipio de Loja. C+C CONSULCENTRO.