ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the planning and market processes of middle and upper income residential land development in two intermediate size cities in Ecuador. It discusses background, methodology, and description of the field investigation sites and key participants in urban land development, residential subdivisions, home buyer preferences, site preferences of developers and lot purchasers, and a few problems related to development. Municipalities in Ecuador find themselves embedded in a network of global influences, changing national and local institutional relationships, and dynamic social and economic contexts. Problems of local land development identified include traffic congestion, rehabilitation of city amenities, need for solid waste disposal sites, and the vexing issue of vacant lots within developed subdivisions, resulting in increased overall cost of infra-structure and service delivery.
