Formal and informal Growth in Quito (1980-2010). A Morphological and Planning Perspective

Abstract

The dual structure identified in many Latin American cities is characterized by the dichotomy between the formal city and the informal settlement. It is conditioned by the mode of spatial occupation that can vary between the articulation of urban pieces in a planned territory, or the juxtaposition of spontaneous units, which generates a morphological antagonism between these two sectors. In the case of Quito, the analysis of these processes has been carried out so far mainly from a socio-spatial perspective, based on the segregation that manifests itself according to the informal condition of certain peripheral settlements. In this context, it is necessary to delve into the morphological dimension of the new urban landscapes, through a comparative study focused on the city as an integral unit, whose borders between the formal city and the emerging informal city have been transformed. From a morphological and urban perspective, the article focuses on the exploration and categorization of the relationship and contrasts between these two canonical forms of urban development, whose inverse processes and combined strategies from two opposing sectors have given rise to fragments of a ‘mixed’ city. In addition to exploring urban processes and their morphological characteristics, the text tries to analyze the role of planning in the origin and evolution of these fragments within the urban system.