Rapid Urban Expansion and Governance Fragmentation in Metropolitan Peripheries: A Territorial Assessment of La Puntilla, Samborondón

Abstract

This study presents a territorial diagnosis of La Puntilla sector, located in Samborondón canton, aiming to understand the current territorial conditions under accelerated urban growth. The diagnosis is conducted due to increasing pressure from residential expansion, real estate investment, and limited institutional coordination, which have generated territorial conflicts, environmental risks, and service imbalances.  The main objective is to characterize the current territorial model through the analysis of five subsystems: biophysical, sociocultural, economic, human settlements, and political-institutional. A mixed methodological approach was applied, combining qualitative analysis based on territorial observation and cartographic interpretation, with quantitative analysis using official statistical data and current planning regulations.  The results reveal an unsatisfactory territorial system marked by disordered land occupation, environmental pressure on sensitive areas, conflicts between private and public interests, weak citizen participation, and institutional coordination challenges. However, significant potentialities were identified, including local government regulatory capacity, citizen interest, and the strategic metropolitan location of the area.  This territorial diagnosis provides a technical foundation for territorial planning processes, supporting the formulation of the PDOT Partial Plan and promoting a more organized, sustainable, and equitable urban development model.