ABSTRACT
The research addresses the possible impacts generated by the influence of regional
sustainability trends and the so-called "progressivism" in the first decades of the 21st century
in Latin America, and their possible footprints in the field of urban and territorial
development. In this context, an attempt is made to make a theoretical confrontation between
the principles that underpin the universally accepted paradigm of sustainability and
sustainable development, against the principles that underpin the so-called "progressivism of
the 21st century", with the aim of finding similarities and discrepancies that allow a better
understanding of the proposals of these trends in the region. To this end, the research is
organized based on an exploratory analysis of the existing theory on the subject, in order to
identify the most important points of each of the aforementioned trends and compare them.
This has made it possible to construct a conceptual theoretical framework to carry out an
analysis in a particular case such as the Metropolitan District of Quito (Ecuador). The results
obtained in the field of public policy constitute the main conclusion of the work, with which
it is intended to contribute something to local authorities to strengthen the decision-making
process in urban and territorial planning in the region.
Keywords: Quito Metropolitan District, 21st century progressivism, sustainability.
INTRODUCCIÓN
En la primera década del siglo XXI, gran parte de los países latinoamericanos se encontraron
alineados bajo la tendencia denominada “socialismo del siglo XXI”, término utilizado para
identificar a los gobiernos y movimientos políticos autodenominados “progresistas”.
En palabras de Hamburger Fernández (2014), el socialismo del siglo XXI en América Latina,
constituía:
Una tendencia que buscaría dar respuestas al grave problema de subdesarrollo en que
vive sumida la región debida, fundamentalmente, a los desequilibrios sociales, la
injusticia y la inequidad que ha sembrado el modo de producción y las prácticas
políticas instauradas, desarrolladas y perpetuadas por el capitalismo. (Pág.135)
Para Harnecker (2010) citada en Hamburguer Fernández (2014), existen ciertos rasgos que
caracterizan a esta tendencia en la primera década del siglo XXI, y cuya intención es enfrentar
la realidad neoliberal imperante en Latinoamérica; por lo que, se plantea una serie de
aspiraciones sociales, económicas y políticas entre las cuales se podría mencionar: “el
hombre como ser social, el pleno desarrollo humano, una democracia participativa y