GIS for Sustainable Urban Transformation in Countries With Emerging Economies: The Case of Piura in Peru

Abstract

In South America, the urban population has been growing rapidly over the last century, with a share of more than 80% expected by 2020. This trend has created new challenges for city planning because municipalities must address issues caused by horizontal urban expansion and the informal occupation of peripheral areas. Frequently, the latter are not designed or equipped for the basic needs of new inhabitants. This research is based on the work of MGI, an initiative for smart, sustainable development in Piura, an intermediate city with one of the highest rates of urban sprawl in Peru. This initiative promotes climate change adaptation and mitigation based on urban analysis embodied in a sustainability profile and an action-oriented roadmap with concrete, feasible, and replicable measures and projects. One such measure is a spatial analysis, prioritising small illegal dumpsites for recovery and converting these areas into a public space using digital planning tools. This study analyses the development of the intervention to be implemented against the city's opportunities and challenges.