Does sustainable planning exist for rural settlements?: the case of Baja California

Abstract

Rural development in Mexico has three main purposes: enhancement of economic growth, reduction of poverty and conservation of natural resources. However, subjects which are not very clear in rural settlements are in the field of planning responsibilities: urban-regional development, rural development or environmental conservation. Rural settlements planning in Baja California has been made on the state level instead of local communities, as a consequence planning and management are very distant from people’s needs and the perspective of sustainable development. A critical view to this position comes from a practical case, which was developed in “Bahía de Los Angeles, Ensenada, Baja California”, where as an alternative it was proposed a community planning scheme, with a holistic approach, capable to join rural and regional development which includes different aspects of sustainability.