Propuesta de ruta recreativa como borde activo en el cerro " El Casigana" Ambato

Abstract

This thesis addresses the territorial, environmental, and social issues affecting El Casigana Hill, an area designated as an ecological protection zone within Ambato’s Land Use and Management Plan (PUGS). Despite its natural and landscape value, the hill has undergone progressive degradation associated with urban expansion, the presence of informal settlements, the loss of vegetation cover, and limited institutional action. These factors have weakened its ecological function and increased invasion pressure, generating a vulnerable environment lacking adequate territorial control. The study proposes, as its main objective, the design of an active edge strategy that enables the recovery of the buffer zone and reestablishes the relationship between the hill and its urban surroundings. To achieve this purpose, a comprehensive diagnosis was developed based on physical, regulatory, and sociocultural components. The analysis included a review of land uses, the existing ecological structure, accessibility conditions, and risk levels, as well as the systematization of testimonies obtained through interviews with experts and local residents. These narratives reveal a historical transformation of the hill, which evolved from a recreational and sparsely populated space into a territory perceived as unsafe and neglected, where the lack of basic services and limited institutional presence have contributed to its deterioration. The diagnosis results show that the ecological protection of the hill depends not only on regulatory enforcement but also on spatial interventions capable of regulating land use, improving connectivity, encouraging community presence, and restoring vegetation cover. The proposal is structured into three complementary stages: the relocation of households located in risk areas and the recovery of affected land; the establishment of a buffer zone with a sixty-meter offset, reinforced through reforestation with native species and controlled pathways; and the creation of an active edge integrating recreational areas, viewpoints, cycling routes, and community gardens, aimed at fostering activities compatible with environmental conservation. Overall, the strategy seeks to restore the ecological integrity of the hill, reduce pressure from informal occupation, strengthen safety, and reactivate the relationship between the population and this natural space. The research concludes that the active edge design represents a viable alternative for improving territorial management of the buffer zone, balancing city-nature dynamics, and contributing to a more sustainable and resilient urban model for the city of Ambato.