Intermediación urbana y el caso de Mérida, Venezuela: hacia un desarrollo coherente de las ciudades intermedias

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to define the process of intermediation, aiming to integrate it to urban strategies and in that way, laying the foundations for coherent development of intermediate cities. The paper seeks to precise the levels in which the process occurs, to determine the dimensions of the city that are being affected and to describe the key elements that intervene. After a critical analysis of the existing theory, the hypothesis that are elaborated and are confirmed in the case study establish that intermediation is path dependent and is defined by the role the city plays in urban systems, that its use as an operational tool can be a risk or an opportunity, depending of the precautionary measures that are taken when integrating it into the planning process, and that it can be measured territorially, through its key elements. Finally, the paper reflects about the materialization of intermediation.