ABSTRACT

Previous growth trends and planning approaches in Latin American cities are now shifting towards denser developments and inclusive planning. In Guatemala City, urban expansion often takes place in the form of sprawl. Housing has been identified as a key urban shaper in pursuing a vision of sustainable development, and the municipality intends to promote stakeholder participatory schemes as a mean to achieving sustainable housing. However, structured frameworks and methods for collaborative planning – as a means for promoting the co-evolution of different stakeholder interests – are still not fully defined. The research described in this chapter conceptualizes sustainability in urban environments and its implications in planning for sustainable housing development. In the case of Guatemala City, a collaborative framework was designed and implemented within an analytical and communicative planning-support system to identify and assess sites for municipal housing development. Spatial Multi Criteria Evaluation (SMCE) methods were used as the core analytical method and geo-visualization techniques for the communicative aspects. The results show that the different methodologies applied can offer effective and transparent support to inform those involved in the planning processes. Nevertheless, during site assessment, discussions among stakeholders about alternatives for sustainable housing development via a multi-dimensional approach still need to be further stimulated. We conclude with recommendations for further research and the applicability of the approach presented in this research in planning practice.