Dichotomous Delta: Between the Natural and the Metropolitan: The Case of the Parana Delta, Argentina

Abstract

213 BUILT ENVIRONMENT VOL 40 NO 2 coexistence of natural and urban processes, the confl icts go further than that. In this article, the natural conditions of the delta are described together with an analysis of the processes of occupation of the space, principally in the area of the Delta Front (Municipalities of Tigre and San Fernando), which is already considered part of the metropolitan area (figure 2). These contrasting conditions provide the background for a discussion of integrated planning as a tool to understand the management of the conflicts the delta faces. This is a special case and the management system must respond with a more integrated notion of the delta in relation to the cities and the development processes that are taking place around them. The Parana Delta (fi gure 1) is a large territory which struggles with confl icting conditions along its 320 km related to the nature of its landscapes and to the patt erns of occupation. Several cities are located on the edges of the delta, which are not considered part of the delta from a geographical point of view. This restricted view is refl ected in the legislation,1 so the natural processes under their spatial delimitations are not considered related to the dynamics of urbanization that take place on the coasts. In the Lower Delta, especially in the Delta Front, the contrasts increase due to the proximity to Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, the most important conurbation in Argentina. Although it is true that the main dichotomy of this delta is related to the Dichotomous Delta: Between the Natural and the Metropolitan: The Case of the Parana Delta, Argentina