Vinicio Moya-Almeida

Urban spatial segregation may be associated with sociodemographic conditions. Taking the city of Loja, Ecuador, as a case study, and using household heads’ educational attainment as a proxy variable, we calculated the Global Spatial Segregation Index (GSSI) and the Areal Spatial Segregation Index (ASSI) for the 2010 and 2022 national censuses. We evaluated correlations between the ASSI and sociodemographic variables related to social security coverage, privatization of education, employment type, technological availability, and ethnic self-identification. The findings show that: (i) socioeconomic spatial segregation in Loja persisted between 2010 and 2022 with moderate changes in intensity—it increased among low-education households (GSSI rising from 21.2 to 23.5), decreased among high-education households (from 19.9 to 17.7), and remained low among middle-education households (from 8.6 to 9.7); (ii) low-education strata remain over-represented in the historical parish of Sucre (now Sucre and Carigán), while high-education strata remain over-represented in Sagrario, in the historical parish of San Sebastián (now San Sebastián and Punzara), and in the north-eastern sector of El Valle; (iii) a strong positive correlation is evident between the ASSI of high-education strata and social security coverage, and home internet and computer availability. These results can support urban planning aimed at reducing spatial segregation in the city of Loja.

This study examines territorial transformations in five rural parishes of the Metropolitan District of Quito induced by the Ruta Viva expressway (inaugurated in 2013). Using census tracts for 2011, 2017, 2021, and 2024 and four variables—urban land use (COS/BCR), building permits (metropolitan licenses), land value, and population density—we construct a PCA-based territorial impact index and classify outcomes with Jenks natural breaks. Results show marked heterogeneity across parishes: Cumbayá–Tumbaco concentrates high-impact tracts and sustained consolidation, while Pifo–Tababela–Puembo exhibits selective or delayed changes. Over 2011–2024, land value more than tripled on average (with parish-level peaks > 200%), and the population grew 46%, reshaping density patterns. The findings highlight infrastructure-induced reconfiguration and underscore the need to align territorial planning instruments with value capture and inclusionary tools for more equitable and environmentally sustainable outcomes.

The concept of a “water governance crisis” manifests distinctly across different regions. In the Global South, particularly in rapidly urbanizing cities, innovative governance models that incorporate community participation are critically needed to address unique challenges such as informal settlements and less stringent pollution controls. This paper presents a theoretical and methodological approach, emphasizing citizen science and community engagement in urban water management. It explores how engaging communities in the assessment and management of water bodies not only enhances the identification of priority areas but also strengthens local capacities to address environmental challenges. An analytical framework highlighting the interdependence between valuation languages and citizen science supports the development of management models for degraded hydro-social territories. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this research develops social indicators and applies participatory methodologies, such as Participatory Mapping, demonstrated through a study of four urban rivers in Sangolquí, Ecuador: Santa Clara, San Pedro, Pita, and San Nicolás. Our findings reveal that participatory models are more effective than traditional technocratic hierarchies and underscore a new paradigm for water governance that prioritizes local knowledge and community practices. This study not only reveals the ecological, social, and spatial configurations of urban river landscapes in Sangolquí but also suggests the framework’s applicability to other Latin American cities facing similar challenges.

This article analyzes the service distribution imbalance within the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ) and its impact on urban mobility, aiming to propose strategies for more equitable territorial planning. The data were gathered from sources such as the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and OpenStreetMap. These data were integrated with GIS tools to model patterns of accessibility and mobility. Through a comprehensive approach, the study assessed education, banking services, employment, and healthcare, identifying how inequitable access to these services drives increased travel demand, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. In the education field, over 500 neighborhoods faced a shortage of institutions, compelling students to commute to other neighborhoods. For financial services, only 67% of neighborhoods had adequate access, with disparities across different socioeconomic zones. Additionally, employment-related mobility posed another challenge, with 88% of workers commuting outside their residential parish. Finally, access to healthcare was also unequal across the DMQ, particularly in peripheral areas where residents must travel long distances. In this context, it can be concluded that more efficient urban planning in the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ) is crucial to address imbalances in the distribution of services and enhance quality of life. Proposed strategies include establishing a land reserve, decentralizing services to underserved areas, integrating smart technologies, and promoting incentives for remote work, sustainable mobility, and public transport. These actions aim to foster greater territorial equity and accessibility.

In the current context, urban centres in Latin America are facing fundamental challenges in their endeavour for Sustainable Development. The focus of this study is the meticulous assessment of the perception of urban sustainability within the Lurín District of Peru. It introduces a system based on urban sustainability indicators, derived from social surveys and implements this system through linear regression models to discern their interrelations. The objective of the research is to quantify and evaluate essential elements linked to the management of natural resources, air and water quality, the advancement of sustainable mobility, education and the well-being of urban residents. By delineating these mathematical and statistical correlations amongst variables pertinent to urban sustainability, this study provides a robust framework for quantitative decision-making in the urban sphere. A methodology for the development of univariable and multivariable models has been demonstrated. Amongst the most important findings, it has been discovered that the variable Environmental Education System (SEA) is perceived as the least important and even negligible within the multivariable models. However, we believe this effect occurs because the impacts of education are perceived in the long term. This article contributes significantly to the academic discourse by providing a more nuanced understanding of the social perception of urban sustainability and its influence on policy formulation and decision-making processes in Latin America.

Urban rivers play a crucial role in providing ecosystem services (ES) that contribute to the social well-being and quality of life of urban inhabitants. However, rapid urbanisation has led to the progressive degradation of these rivers, affecting their capacity to deliver ES and resulting in significant socio-ecological impacts. This study performs a participatory mapping of the non-monetary social values (positives and negatives), in the urban Zamora and Malacatos Rivers and their ESs, in Loja, Ecuador, to understand community perceptions and preferences in a context of degraded landscapes as a complementary category of analysis to traditional approaches. Methodologically, the collection, analysis and mapping were carried out using public participation GIS (PPGIS) based on surveys. This method facilitated the integration of social data with biophysical variables. The most relevant of the ten social values studied were positives: Learning, Aesthetic, Therapeutic and negatives: Displeasure, Deficient and Inaccessible Infrastructure and Threat of Flooding. We revealed different spatial patterns for each ES social value, where positive value locations exhibited a dispersed pattern, with clusters in peripheral areas, while negative value locations exhibited a clustered pattern in the city centre. The environmental variable with the most significant contribution was the Horizontal Distance to Green Areas. These findings enhance our understanding of the social values and preferences associated with ES in urban river contexts. Furthermore, they provide valuable insights for identifying areas of opportunity and conflict, informing community planning and effective management of the urban landscape.

The present work aims to develop a mathematical model, based on Gompertz equations and ANNs to predict the concentration of four solvent compounds (isobutanol, ethyl acetate, amyl alcohol and n-propanol) produced by the yeasts S. cerevisiae, Safale S04, using only the fermentation temperature as input data. A beer wort was made, daily samples were taken and analysed by GC-FID. The database was grouped into five datasets of fermentation at different setpoint temperatures (15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 19.0 and 21.0 °C). With these data, the Gompertz models were parameterized, and new virtual datasets were used to train the ANNs. The coefficient of determination (R²) and p-value were used to compare the results. The ANNs, trained with the virtual data generated with the Gompertz functions, were the models with the highest R² values (0.939 to 0.996), showing that the proposed methodology constitutes a useful tool to improve the quality (flavour and aroma) of beers through temperature control.

Se ha realizado dos encuestas a cerveceros profesionales y no profesionales y a jueces cerveceros de diferentes procedencias y niveles de experiencia, con el objetivo de determinar la influencia que un grupo de descriptores organolépticos puede tener sobre la calidad final de la cerveza. Se preguntó acerca de descriptores relacionados principalmente con la fermentación alcohólica, pero también varios provenientes de contaminaciones, de ingredientes o de los procesos de elaboración. El resultado se ha tabulado en forma de clasificación numérica. De forma general los compuestos sulfurosos, la humedad, el dimetil sulfuro y los solventes constituyen los principales indicadores negativos. Por otro lado, los ésteres, fenoles, diacetilo, y benzaldehído, son aceptados como los que menor influencia pueden tener. Moya-Almeida, Vinicio; Diezma, Belén; Correa, Eva Cristina