Territorial equity measurement in Buenos Aires Province (Argentina)

Abstract

Districts with large urban centers are demonstrative of the territorial inequalities that exist in the "urban-rural continuum", where most services are concentrated in the urban spaces. These disparities hinder territorial equity, which is understood as the geographical configuration that guarantees all its inhabitants the same conditions of access to a good quality of life.The aim of this chapter is to analyze territorial equity in the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina), based on the study of different indicators of quality of life and sustainability, and measured at the district level. The methodology used was based on the analysis of indicators through statistical methods and geographic information systems.Territorial equity will be measured through the analysis of indicators that integrate the dimensions Education, Water and Health, Dwelling, Economic Activity and Employment, Communication and Connectivity, and Environment, which characterize the objective quality of life. Data sources applied correspond to the National Census of Population, Homes and Housing (INDEC, 2010), digital elevation models and monthly precipitation data (period 1963-2012), and reports from the Ombudsman´s Office of the Nation (2010) and the Ombudsman of the province of Buenos Aires (2018).The results show the presence of territorial inequalities in relation to the quality of life of the population, especially with regard to Water and Health services, Dwelling, and Communications and Connectivity. Inequalities that result from territorial processes such as agricultural development, with the consequent rural depopulation, the leaving of the activity by small producers, environmental risk from the increased use of chemical inputs, and the advancement of private neighborhoods and the growth of average cities, especially in districts near the Metropolitan Region of Buenos Aires.