Urban Form and Vitality in the Dispersed Latin American City. The Case of Mendoza, Argentina

Abstract

Urban vitality is a quality that can play a role in the social sustainability of towns. However, this vitality is usually low in the urban sprawl of the new Latin American cities. The article explores how the built environment relates to life in public space by using Mendoza, Argentina, as a case study. Using morphological analysis and observation of vitality in a sample of twelve residential units, parametric correlations and qualitative relationships are established. The results show that urban vitality is linked to greater population density, better integration of the road network and intimate urban spaces where homes have front gardens, all of which points out the importance of morphology in enhancing user presence. Nevertheless, this dynamic is more pronounced in the streets, since the squares are more independent from the built environment.