National Spatial Planning Policy in Ecuador. The PlanTel project.

The PlanTel project aims to achieve the strengthening of local and regional territorial planning in Ecuador through technical and methodological support. The Belgian/Flanders NGO VVOB invested during the 2003-2010 period together with the local government associations AME (Association of Ecuadorian Municipalities) and CONCOPE (Association of Provinces of Ecuador) and the Technical University of Ecuador (EPN) in self-governance in spatial planning processes and GIS-applications. The project contributed to the national SENPLADES-objective of decentralizing the spatial planning practice by ensuring a better local management and achieving a better quality of life for all inhabitants. Two pilot areas were chosen: the central part of the Manabi province and the Central Sierra area.

The PlanTeL-experience has offered very interesting and mostly practical results and a growing interest for spatial planning. It ranks high on the political agenda, resulting e.a. in a higher demand for both professional assistance and theoretical research. Several publications and instruments were developed and brought together in a toolbox. Also literally: a wooden box contains all relevant material. A set of didactic video’s was developed.

Joris Scheers was involved in the initialization process of the project in 2001, gave a lecture at the ‘Encuentro Nacional de Planificación’ in Quito (2008) and acted as academic supervisor during the entire period of the project (2003-2010).