ESTUDIO DE LAS CONDICIONES DE CALIDAD DE VIDA EN LOS ESPACIOS URBANOS Y PERIURBANOS DEL SUR DE LA CIUDAD DE MAR DEL PLATA (ARGENTINA) A PARTIR DE LA ELABORACIÓN Y ANÁLISIS ESPACIAL DE UN ÍNDICE SINTÉTICO SOCIOAMBIENTAL

Abstract

The cities seen as a particular form of relation between society and nature reflect social and environmetal problems that differentially influence on the quality of life of the urban and periurban popultation. The present study, carried out in a sector located to the south of Mar del Plata aims to elaborate an index of quality of life that incorporates in its conception environmental aspects, conforming a Social and Environmental Quality of Life Index (SEQLI). The construction of the SEQLI, which considers census tracks as spatial units of reference emerges from the integration of social and environmental indicators, through the application of a methodology developed for this purpose. The indicators were grouped in five dimensions (education, health, housing, environment and poverty) that demonstrate the existence of a clear differentiation between the urban and periurban sector, showing the latter one a greater spatial heterogeneity and more critical situations. Also the application of a technique that allows geographic spatial correlation allowed to deepen the study of the territorial distribution of the index. In this way it was possible to identify areas, with a high level of detail, which require measures to address their existing and emerging social and environmental problems.