Análisis del Índice de calidad ambiental urbana en zonas residenciales de Cuenca según su estrato socioeconómico

Abstract

The objective of this research is to establish a methodological process to determine the behavior of the urban environmental quality - ICAU in Cuenca according to the socioeconomic stratum in order to show if there is a correlation between these two aspects. After analyzing the dynamics of eight zones with different values of the Living Conditions Index - LCI, and through a qualitative and quantitative analysis, it was possible to obtain information about the current situation of the urban context of each zone and to offer a methodological proposal of six indicators. When applying the methodology, it can be seen that the environmental dimension reaches high values in all zones and the urban-architectural dimension varies according to each indicator. This shows that the city achieves an excellent valuation in relation to its natural resources, while the ICAU and the ICV exhibit a heterogeneous distribution. Thus, it is possible to argue that urban environmental quality and socioeconomic stratum show correlation in some indicators. Likewise, it can be seen that the population with low economic status is mostly located in the peripheries of the city, where environmental conditions are better, land prices are low, but recreational areas are lacking. On the other hand, the high-income population settles in sectors of the territory with better physical, landscape and environmental conditions. Finally, the proposal is evaluated by analyzing the phases for implementation, in order to determine its feasibility in an objective manner.