- Networking in green    516 kb by    Nuri, Mouriño | nurimc@hotmail.com    Short Outline Latin American countries have a shortage in their government system, generating social dynamics known as “irregular settlements”. It is imminent adopting “green initiatives” as leading axis of urban planning to reduce city fragmentation. Abstract “Networking in green” Facing accelerated degradation process in natural environment points to significant land degradation, loss of biodiversity and spread of urban areas into ecological reserves, it is imminent adopting “green initiatives” as leading axis of urban planning, reducing city fragmentation and re-considering land-use patterns; natural connections such as city forests or urban rivers link natural and artificial morphologies through green networks of corridors, patches and mosaics. Government’s role is crucial as responsible of decisions and actions, Latin American countries suffered a shortage in their government system resulting in social and political instability; showing exaggerated tolerance for lawlessness. These inadequacies generated social dynamics that encourage urban dispersions as “irregular settlement”s that fragment cities and decrease life quality of inhabitants, forming isolated nucleus without services and damaging environment. While this “authority-role” is not defined; sprawling dynamics becomes an un-governable chaos. In order to decrease percentage of irregular settlements it is necessary to create synergism between: government, society and environment; looking for sustainable and efficient urbanization (community programmes and environmental monitoring), linked to landscape ecology principles and land-use planning. An active society is imminent; deficiencies in social structures are translated into urban development talking about group habits, impacting in social and environmental health. It is important re-formulating civic sustainability; coupling usually opposing forces: government regulations and economic self interests. Urban proposals must integrate cross–disciplinary solutions to land-use challenges increasing social life quality and ensuring environment survival. As an example of green initiatives linked to urban sprawl in Latin America, Mexico City Government implemented a sustainable programme: “Magdalena’s river restoration” (born in an ecological reserve, passing trough the city till ends in the sewage system). Urban plan includes actions until year 2012, developing: preservation of natural resources, actions on irregular settlements, urban areas improvement, restructuring of the hydric system and social welfare. Keywords Environmental Government Society Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2008: Urban Growth without Sprawl   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper