Urban Green Network - Quito

Secretariat of Territory, Habitat and Housing (STHV) of DMQ

The Urban Green Network (RVU) program is a sectoral strategy that was created with the objective of systemically integrating the components of the natural environment in and around Quito. Through this, it seeks to recognize or grant them functions within the concept of a sustainable city. Initially it is conceptualized as a system of vegetation connectors that, through the urban fabric, generate a spatial linkage between natural conservation areas and green spaces with ecological value, which facilitate mobility and provide habitat for urban wildlife. However, the Urban Green Network goes beyond environmental contributions, since it promotes new dynamics between nature and the city from the perspective of sustainable development of the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ), through the enhancement of economic, social and patrimonial identity values that will contribute to improve the habitability of public space, health and environmental quality, social cohesion, cultural integration and equity, universal accessibility, valuation and enhancement of natural heritage and symbolic spaces for citizens.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments›Sectoral strategy, plan, or law

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Social cohesion
Social equity

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

Through the RVU, natural connectors will be created between the Metropolitan Natural Protected Areas subsystem of the DMQ. Metropolitan protected areas have increased since 2011 in the DMQ. It has been proposed that by 2022, more than 70% of the DMQ territory will include protected areas. With the Municipal Ordinance N213, more green areas have been increased in the DMQ, with more than 14,900 ha. as of 2015, which is equivalent to an average of 20.9 m2 of green per capita per inhabitant.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Green areas for water management

Urban green space connected to grey infrastructure

Good practice characteristics:

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Policy business case

Inclusivity

Multifunctional NBS support

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Secretary of Territory of the Metropolitan District of Quito

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The first phase for the implementation of the RVU has been aimed at carrying out a diagnosis and categorization of the networks of public spaces and natural areas to understand the current reality of the different ecosystems and their relationship with the urban fabric. The processing, management and identification of green areas and their subsequent spatial analysis was developed through the Quito Urban Information Center, using geographic information systems, spatial and statistical data from various information sources, such as the Secretariat of Territory, Habitat and Housing (STVH), the Geo-portal of the Military Geographic Institute (IGM) and the Institute of the City. The Secretariat of Territory, Habitat and Housing is in charge of guiding metropolitan public policies in the areas of territorial planning, habitat and housing; planning and managing the territorial development of the DMQ in coordination with other entities and levels of government and with the alignment of the municipal entities of the sector, through efficient, inclusive, comprehensive and sustainable management. During the course of the investigation, no further details were found on the formulation and how the Secretariat of Territory received input from other governmental entities.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Researchers, university

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Expert task force consultation

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

For the implementation of the RVU it has been essential to empower citizens, on the one hand as necessary actors for the implementation of community gardens and farms, but also as ambassadors of the benefits and impacts of these practices for food security, poverty reduction and the overall improvement of the quality of life of all people.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Citizen councils or consultation for co-planning (e.g. workshops, surveys)

Targeted actors:

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs, NGOs, etc.

Financing

Budget:

Unknown

Details about instrument financing:

The PMDOT 2021-2033, in the Territorial Axis, within the "OE2. Promote responsible and sustainable integrated environmental, waste and risk management", defines the following reference budget: Environmental Quality Program 45,000,000 USD, Natural Heritage Program 50,000,000 USD. It is understood that the RVU will have received funding from the PMDOT, but no concrete figure was found during the research.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Yes

The city of Quito has the Quito Urban Information Center (CIUQ). In addition, the Biological Sciences Faculty of the Central University of Ecuador is working to implement a biodiversity monitoring system for the DMQ, through the citizen science education platform coordinated by INABIO through the I Naturalist tool.

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The diagnosis carried out in the first phases allowed for an in-depth categorization of the characteristics and potential uses of each public space polygon studied (parks, small squares, flowerbeds, etc.) and their relationship with the socioeconomic reality of the population and the availability of quality public space. For the categorization, a matrix with different categories and indicators was proposed, taking into account geometric characteristics, urban planning, location, vegetation cover and access. In order to complement urban green areas with natural areas, additional cartography was used to categorize protection zones such as: State Natural Areas Heritage (PANE), Conservation and Sustainable Use Areas (ACUS), Special Intervention and Recovery Areas (AIER), Sustainable Areas of Natural Resources (Amán et al.). The restructuring of the Urban Green Network in the city of Quito becomes a tool for the conservation of urban forests and green corridors that provide shade, improving the comfort and urban health of the DMQ. Despite a vegetation index of 20m2/ inhabitant, there are still barriers in urban management that result in unequal access to green spaces, especially in neighborhoods with high population densities and low resources.

Success factors and lessons learned:

The RVU is an instrument of a strategic nature that is allowing the implementation of the guidelines of the successive Metropolitan Development and Land Use Planning Plans (2015-2022 and 2021-2033). Among the success factors we can highlight: design of a medium-long term vision and from a multi-scale perspective (from natural areas to urban green) and a multi-factor perspective, where natural, social, environmental, cultural and economic aspects, among others, are integrated and coordinated.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Amán, J. S. P., Ornaza, D. F. O., Proaño, E. E. E. S., Betancourt, P. E. C., & Gonzalez, I. S. Distribution, accessibility and territorial equity of urban green areas in the Metropolitan District of Quito.

Municipality of the Metropolitan District of Quito (2021). Metropolitan Development and Land Use Plan 2021-2033. APPENDIX 5: Proposed institutional projects to operationalize the PMDOT 2021 - 2033.

Villavicencio Ordoñez, J. (2019). Urban green corridors. Urban planning. Urban green corridors. Urban planning. The case of the Metropolitan District of Quito. Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, FLACSO Ecuador. Department of Public Affairs. Call for applications 2018-2020. Master of Research in Urban Studies. City and environment

Further documents

Weblinks:

http://sthv.quito.gob.ec/portfolio/red-verde-urbana/

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/corredores-red-verde-urbana-dmq?tab=about

https://www.ciuq.ec/

Photos

Secretariat of Territory, Habitat and Housing (STHV) of DMQ