Land use planning and strengthening local development in the parish of Chanduy, province of Santa Elena, year 2025

Abstract

Land-use planning has become a fundamental strategy for guiding sustainable local development, especially in rural areas facing structural, economic, and institutional limitations. In this context, this article aimed to analyze land-use planning as a strategy for strengthening local development in the Chanduy parish, Santa Elena province. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, with a qualitative component and quantitative support, using techniques such as surveys, semi-structured interviews, and document review. The study population consisted of residents of the Chanduy parish, from whom a probabilistic sample of 377 respondents was selected. The results show that territorial planning, environmental management, citizen participation, local economic development, infrastructure, and territorial governance significantly influence the strengthening of local development. However, persistent problems were identified, such as the gap between planning and implementation, territorial inequality in service provision, limited inter-institutional coordination, and still weak citizen participation. Based on these findings, the Integrated Model of Territorial Planning Management for Local Development (MIGOT 2026) is proposed as a conceptual contribution of our own authorship that systematically articulates the territorial, social, economic and environmental dimensions.