Sustainable Natural Resources Management and Land Planning: The Case of Parque Agroecológico De Zapopan

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Sustainable natural resources management and land
planning
The case of Parque Agroecológico de Zapopan
José G. Vargas-Hernández, M.B.A; Ph.D.
Research professor Department of Administration
University Center for Economic and Managerial sciences, University of Guadalajara
Periférico Norte 799 Edificio G-201-7,
Núcleo Universitario Los Belenes CUCEA
Zapopan, Jalisco C.P. 45100; México
Tel y fax: +52(33) 37703340, 37703300 ext. 25685
josevargas@cucea.udg.mx, jgvh0811@yahoo.com,jvargas2006@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
This research aims to analyze the model of sustainable natural resources management and land
planning an in the Agro ecological Park of Zapopan (PAZ). Based on the need to rescue vacant
urban land use with the participation of residents residing in the surrounding colonies, social
movements, civil society and local government, they have designed and implemented actions
to create PAZ (PEACE) as an area of green innovation. In addition to the cultivation of
vegetables, vegetables, medicinal plants and decoration under relations of cooperation, trust
and community support, the formation of social capital that sustains a culture of peace based
on environmental sustainability activities. The results of the implementation of this project,
born from bottom of the social and power structures, constitute a significant experience in the
regeneration of public spaces and green areas that provides greater economic efficiency in terms
of family income, a greater relevance of equity, inclusion and social justice and improvement
of environmental sustainability.
Keywords: Inclusive civic culture, agro ecological park, environmental sustainability,
Zapopan.
INTRODUCTION
There is an increasing number of urban inhabitants that have migrated from their rural locations
and have no other means of generating income which have contributed to have all added to high
levels of poverty, especially among the households headed by women. Moreover, poor
households in urban communities protect themselves from income risks by seeking and
diversifying their sources of income such as formal employment and some informal small scale
entrepreneurial activities, which only provide the necessary for subsistence and is not secure.
It has been historically evident the restrictions on creating and developing an entrepreneurial
inclusive civic culture because the poor support from public, governmental, private or social
organizations and institutions in terms of providing access to scarce resources and skill training.
The motivation to conduct this study springs from these needs and have different intentions.
One is the global struggle for urban community development to address the main issues of
global sustainable development goals in areas such as food, health, security, etc. The emerging
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sanitary, economic, social, political, and cultural crisis intersecting access to resources and
skills with social inclusiveness, inequality and justice, economic growth and efficiency, and
environmental sustainability.
The motivation of this study emerges from the question How do actor with diverse and
compiling interests work out their differences to work on a community project? The rationale
for undertaking this analysis is to identify to what extent community changes and
transformations into a more oriented entrepreneurial inclusive culture can contribute economic,
social and environmental development.
Attached to this question are other important motivations: There is misleading wide-spread
assumption based on the argument that community development is linear and continuous. This
study intends to demonstrate the reality based on the assumption that community development
in one domain may coexist with inequality in others. However, the study goes beyond to
demonstrate that community development can be more harmonious in all domains if all the
stakeholders involved have the intentions to overcome the determinants that are the obstacle by
promoting changes toward a more entrepreneurial inclusive civic culture.
This study analyses the factors that successfully contribute to social transformation of a
community through the creation and development of an entrepreneurial inclusive civic culture
based on agro ecology and green practices in an urban space. The analysis highlights the
empowerment of disadvantaged inhabitants to gain access to natural resources and skills to
enable and sustain the implementation of an entrepreneurial inclusive civic culture in a
community that allow them to gain economic growth, social inclusiveness and justice, and
environmental sustainability.
This study has an impact on design and implementation of public policy and local governance,
research and practice. It can be a guide to replicate the study and achieve the social and
community benefits.
Location as a determinant factor
The Zapopan agro ecological Park is located in “Cerrada Santa Laura” within Santa Margaritas
colony in the municipality of Zapopan, State of Jalisco. The located zones will be defined within
the municipality of Zapopan. The population of Zapopan in 2015 according to Inter Census
Survey was 1,332,272 people; 48.8 percent of men and 51.2 percent of women. Comparing the
estimated population in 2015 with the population in 2010 it can be perceived that the population
increased 7.1 percent in five years. It is estimated that in 2020 this population will increase
close to 1,414,972 habitants. Nowadays 689,327 million, are men and 725,645 are women,
representing 16.92 percent of the total population of Jalisco. In 2010 the municipality counted
in total 234 localities. The municipal head of Zapopan is the most populated locality with
1,142,483 people, representing 91.9% of the population, followed by San Francisco. Tesistán
with 5.0% , “La Venta del Astillero” (Sale of the Shipyard) with 0.5%,
“Fraccionamiento Campestre Las Palomas” with 0.4% percent and “Nextipac” with 0.3%
percent of the municipal total. (IIEG, 2016).
Most of the existing buildings have electricity, but only a few have access to piped water and
drainage. The constructions are made with timber, concrete, bricks and adobe. The municipality
offers public lighting services, markets, trails, parking lots, cemeteries, roads, public toilets,
public security, traffic, parks, gardens and sports centers. Regarding basic services, 94.8% of
the installed infrastructure has potable water, 96.9% of sewage and 98.9% of electric energy.
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Most of the municipality of Zapopan (85.4%) has a semi-warm climate, half damp. The average
annual temperature is 20.5 ° C, while the maximum and minimum average oscillates between
32.1 ° C and 8.4 ° C respectively. The climate of the municipality is temperate, semi-dry, with
dry winters and dry springs. It is semi-warm with benign winter, it also has an average annual
temperature of 23.5º C, and an average annual rainfall of 906.1 millimeters with rainfalls from
June to October.
The lands of the municipality are mostly composed from rocks, basalt and tuff. The dominant
soils have Eugic Regosol, Haplic Feozem and chromic Luvisol. The predominant soil is the
Phaeozem (Feozem) with almost 50.6%, and it is presented in any type of land relief. It has a
dark, soft, rich surface layer with organic matter and a lot of nutrients. Most of the land is only
used for agricultural purposes. The municipality also has three characteristic forms of reliefs.
In a higher percentage the injured zones are formed by a height of 1,500 to 2,000 meters,
following the flat and semi-flat areas. The main elevations of the municipality are: “Las Colinas
de La Col” (2,200 masl), “El Tepopote” (1950 masl), “La Mesa del Burro” (1,700 masl), “El
Tule” (2,050 masl), “El Chapulin” (2,000 masl) high (1,990 masl), “El Colli” (1,950 masl), “El
Chato” (1,800 masl), “El Masahuate” (2,100 masl), and the Lobera with (1,900 masl). The
municipality of Zapopan registered the highest education levels in 2012 with 10.4 years as the
average. Zapopan also has the lowest education gap (28.6%) and follows Guadalajara in
concentration of the enrollment with 27.0% (Plan Estatal de Desarrollo Jalisco, 2013).
Natural resources and economics
The natural wealth of the municipality is represented by 11,400 hectares of forest, where pine,
encino, creton, jonote, madroño, oak, oyamel and tepame predominate. Its mineral resources
are deposits of marble, kaolin, feldspar, agate, tezontle, gravel and sand (clay). The vegetation
of the municipality is conformed mostly by pine and encino; both species are in the forests of
the municipality: “El bosque de la primavera”, “Bosque de Nixticuil” and “Bosque del
Centinela”. The current fauna of the place, includes 106 species of animals such as white-tailed
deer, puma, lynx, coyote, gray fox, badger, hare and raccoon, among others. Nearly 137 species
of migratory and resident birds have been identified and can be observed hawks, eagles, herons,
thrushes, quail, roadrunners, woodpeckers, etc.
Local crops include vegetables, fruits and seeds like corn, sorghum, zucchini, tomato, chickpea,
avocado, mango and plum. Poultry, beef cattle, pig, sheep, goat meat and hives are also raised.
A great industrial activity is developed. Companies like: Motorola and Coca-Cola, among
others. According to (DENUE), the municipality of Zapopan by 2015 had 49,543 economic
units and its sectors showed a predominance of economic service units, representing 47.3% of
the total companies within the municipality (IIEG, 2016). The municipality has important
shopping centers, named Plaza Patria, Plaza del Sol, Plaza Bonita, Plaza Universidad, Plaza
Mexico (one part), Plaza Antares, La Gran Plaza, SAM'S, Price Club, Wall- Mart, Plaza San
Isidro. Financial, professional, technical, administrative, communal, social, personal, tourist
and maintenance are provided.
The number of insured workers also increased this year, where IMSS reported a total of 327,641
workers newly registered, representing in 55,025 more insured workers compared to the same
month in 2012 (IIEG, 2016). Also by 2015 life expectancy in Jalisco where of 75 years old; 73
for men and 78 for women (IIEG, 2015). The Economically Active Population (EAP) represents
45.20% of the total population, that constitute 562,233 habitants, of whom, (96.49%) are
employed and the rest (3.51%) are unemployed. 6,293 inhabitants are employed in the primary
sector of the economy (Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, hunting and fishing), 141,375
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inhabitants in the secondary sector (Mining, oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, electricity,
water and construction) 388,48 work in the tertiary sector (Government, transportation,
commerce and other services). And the remaining 6,781 inhabitants do not specify the sector to
which their economic activity belongs (Gobierno de Zapopan, 2016).
Gross Domestic Product in 2015 was 889,703 pesos at 2008 prices. The per capita gross
domestic product was 146,746 pesos (INEGI, 2015). The participation of Zapopan in the Gross
Domestic Product in 2000 was 10630.2 (adjusted million dollars), which represented 31.9%,
placing it in the second municipality in Jalisco, only after Guadalajara with 43.6%
(Ayuntamiento de Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, 2015). GDP of Guadalajara and Zapopan as
a percentage of the GDP of Jalisco 2000-2009 at current prices were 10.22. From the analysis
of these data, it can be observed that there was a reduction in Zapopan for the GDP.
Zapopan is also one with highest index of wealth and income in the GDP of the State of Jalisco.
Its urban panorama is made up of modern buildings and luxurious shopping centers, residential
housing and green areas, that show the highest level in the metropolitan area (Zona Guadalajara,
2017). For the year 2013 intermediate consumption was 108,762 million pesos. (Gobierno de
Zapopan, 2016). The municipality has air transportation, with a military base that receives
airplanes DC-9 and the airport “La Cebadilla”, which is a particular property able to receive
airplanes. Near Zapopan is the International Airport of Guadalajara Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
for the public air service which is located 50 minutes from the municipal center.
The land transportation to the municipality of Zapopan is done through the Mexico-Nogales,
Guadalajara-Saltillo and Guadalajara-Barra de Navidad roads. It has a network of dirty and
paved roads that communicate to localities. Because of its importance, the highway that
connects with the north of the State of Jalisco with the State of Zacatecas stands out. Rail
transportation is carried out through the Guadalajara-Nogales line of the “Ferrocarril Del
Pacífico” system, only for cargo movement. Through the municipality passes the train called
"Tequila Turístico" that goes from Guadalajara to the population of Tequila.
The terrestrial foreign transportation is done in direct buses for passengers concentrated in the
terminals located in Zapopan, and other places such as Tlaquepaque and Tonalá in the
Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara. Urban and rural transportation is done in rental vehicles,
private vehicles and buses. It also has a bus terminal which is next to the roundabout Emiliano
Zapata, on the road to Tesistán. The nearest ports are Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo both
located on the Pacific Ocean. The Agro ecological Park has a community garden where the
citizens can grow and harvest organic food, a classroom, built with natural materials, a module
of dry ecological baths, a nursery area for plant production, a compost area for fertilizer
processing and recycling nutrients, an edible forest, a rainwater harvesting and distribution
system and an ecological market area.
The surface it’s occupied by the project which has 1.8 hectares, a neighborhood with about 40
thousand inhabitants, near the Pedagogical Water Forest in the area of the Colomos III Forest.
Both park is connected as part of a network of agro ecological parks in the Guadalajara
Metropolitan Area.
What used to be a rubble and rubbish dump, is now the first Agro ecological Park in Zapopan,
thanks to the work of the neighbors, the Teocintle Collective and also with government support.
It was inaugurated on March 27, 2015 by the Mayor Héctor Robles Peiro. The “Pedagogical
Forest of Water” has local and national connection to roads, ports, railways and walking
accessibility to markets & customers.
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The municipality of Zapopan has important shopping centers, named Plaza Patria, Plaza del
Sol, Plaza Bonita, Plaza Universidad, Plaza Mexico, La Gran Plaza, SAM'S, Price Club, Wall-
Mart, Plaza San Isidro. Regarding supply, in terms of popular consumption services, this need
is covered by 2,571 grocery stores selling food and beverages, 485 butchers and 459
establishments selling prepared foods). In Zapopan there are 15 municipal markets and 77
established markets, which makes this municipality a center of supply of localities and
surrounding municipalities. The Market of the Sea stands out for its variety and quality of its
products.
Environmental and territorial conditions
The Municipal Urban Development Program of Zapopan aims to establish urban and
environmental policies based on the determinations of the current programs and plans of the
State Planning System, adequate and adjusted to the local needs and considering the established
by the applicable environmental instruments in the municipal territory. The nature and
characteristics of the Zapopan’s ecosystem, within the environmental regionalization of the
state is characterized by the environmental impact of new human settlements, agricultural,
industrial, and commercial and service works or activities. The presence of more than half of
the total population of the State in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara, being the
municipalities of Guadalajara and Zapopan that shelter the greater part of this, generates a series
of environmental and mobility problems.
Air pollution in Zapopan is one of the main pollutants generated in the metropolitan area, this
is due to agricultural activities (burning), unpaved roads, diesel vehicles in circulation,
combustion emissions in industry, forest fires, and suspension of dust from construction
activities including the transport of material and those extractive activities as is the case with
material banks, among others. The fraction particles smaller than 10 microns is the one that is
most concentrated in the metropolitan area. The highest contribution in tons of pollutants
corresponds to mobile sources, accounting for 96% of the emissions generated. Particles
suspended in the atmosphere (PM10) are now considered to be the best indicator of air quality.
They are constituted by nitrates and sulfates or by organic carbon - due to their conformation
which may be of natural origin or also by photochemical reaction (Reyes, Castellanos y
Gutierrez, 2009).
Another aspect that is involved in the problem of pollution in the ZMG is the winds and their
effects on the concentration and dispersion in the atmosphere of ozone and suspended particles,
generally, at higher wind speeds, greater dilution of pollutants. The annual wind regime in the
region is divided into two defined periods: One from November to June in which the West
winds prevail, and from June to October in which the East winds prevail. (Cohen, 1979). Ozone,
which is due to the reaction of hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, is another pollutant that has
exceeded 100 μg / m3. As the easterly winds contribute to the ozone concentrations in the west
of the ZMG, mainly due to the frequency of calm periods, and the western winds carry the
ozone towards the center. The slightly moderate winds of the southwest and southeast of The
ZMG transport this pollution to the north. For the spring period, there is a decrease in the air
quality index, since it registers 97 IMECA ozone points as the maximum level. Towards the
north and south of Zapopan the season of the year that concentrates higher levels of pollution
by particles of ozone is the winter. (Reyes, Castellanos y Curiel, 2009).
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In the case of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), whose main source is combustion in industries and
vehicles, it turns out to be the other pollutant present in the atmosphere of the municipality of
Zapopan. It is observed that 13.0% of NO2 measurements exceed 40 μg / m3 which is the
annual average recommended by WHO. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) - a product of the combustion of
coal, diesel, fuel oil and gasoline with sulfur, in addition to sulfur-rich metallic veins, industrial
processes and volcanic eruptions - has been located within the limits established by both the
Mexican standard of 340 μg / m3 and the WHO standard of 40 μg / m3.
This place was all constructed with natural materials. It counts with a main building, a
classroom, an office, a small room that has domestic technologies, dry bath module and a
community garden fenced with 47 beds of cultivation (10m2 each) plotted by Tierra Cruda but
excavated in the rubble by Collective Teocintle Agro ecological and volunteers; Bamboo
structure for composting and nursery of nurseries. It also has a winery that was built by Farid
Morales in collaboration with DIF Zapopan, Collective Teocintle Agro ecological and other
volunteers, while the bamboo structures where given and placed by Fernando Partida of
BambuXal also with the help of collective.
Due to the altitude and the hydrographic network of the region, it is considered that there are
no sufficient water resources in quality and quantity to satisfy the current and future demand.
The overexploitation of the aquifers and the presence of heavy metals such as arsenic, requires
among other measures, improving the management of existing sources of fresh water and
addressing the problems of waste and pollution control. Knowing this, it can be said that it is
due to the change of land uses, with the growth of the urban spot, both in residential areas and
in areas of industrial use, where the pollutants have been present significantly affecting the
environment.
THEORETHICAL APPROACH: SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING OF LAND USE
A sustainable development framework must encourage the value of alternative divergent
thinking with respect of pluralism of worldviews, cultural diversity and recovery of local
community environmental culture to recover the traditional systems of sustainable natural
resources management and include all these concerns in the construction of environmental
policy responses to sustainable development issues.
Socio-intercultural sustainable natural resources management systems are characterized by
ontological pluralism to encompass all the human-nature differences in relationships (Howitt
and Suchet-Pearson, 2003, 2006). The socio-intercultural pluralism dialogue open to alterity
and complexity in a global perspective is the core of good governance. The ontological
pluralism of socio-intercultural sustainable natural resources management approves the
indigenous knowledge and governance in collaborative management at the same level of
acceptance that have the scientific, economic and democratic assumptions (Wohling, 2009;
Turnhout, 2010).
The governance of sustainable natural resources management acknowledges the principle of
adaptability in environments of complexity and uncertainty to develop management capacities
and provides a framework of adaptive governance and flexibility to respond to contextual
threats and opportunities. This adaptive governance approach provides the organizational
structure, motivation, organizational learning and policy design to develop instruments and
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indicators for monitoring and outcomes evaluation of good sustainable natural resources
management governance.
The development of principles for good sustainable natural resources management and
development governance can be supported by the contribution of the literature review by a
panel de experts who may refine and test these principles (Linstone and Turoff 1975). The
design and assessment of sustainable natural resources management governance institutions
may be based on governance principles as normative statements on the power exercising,
steering and governing of actors in meeting their objectives. Sustainable natural resources
management is a contemporary approach to governance that integrates diverse actors and
stakeholders in collective action to engage in creation of knowledge, learning and
experimentation aimed to improve the conditions (Head and Ryan 2004; Morrison et al. 2004).
Sustainable natural resources management governance requires of national, local and
community institutions more democratic, decentralized and mutually more supportive
(Agrawal and Ribot 1999). Government and non-government institutions play important roles
in contexts of multilevel governance processes to develop sustainable natural resources
management and governance supported by the practice of good organizational governance
principles.
The multilevel sustainable natural resources management governance is an approach that is
based in governance principles such as legitimacy, accountability, transparency, fairness,
inclusiveness, capability, adaptability, integrations etc., as the normative guidance for
organizations and local communities. Community sustainable governance is multidimensional
originated by the systemic environmental dynamics characterized by uncertainty, complexity,
tensions and conflicting risks (Salwasser 2004).
Socio-intercultural competence is related to the efficacy and achievement of socio-intercultural
systems and sustainable outcomes for local participants and stakeholders developing a
sustainable capacity building of sustainable natural resources management. To foster emerging
hybrid socio-intercultural systems are necessary to invest in developing the competencies and
training of resources committed to new values, knowledge and skills adapted to socio cultural
and biophysical components of the sustainable natural resources management to ensure
adaptive systems (Yunupingu and Muller, 2009) in spaces for self-management, self-
determination and accountability.
The socio-intercultural and interpersonal cross-scale dimensions engage people in the
sustainable natural resources management to build collaborative spaces (Suchet-Pearson et al.,
2006; Suchet, 1999; Wright et al., 2012). The socio-intercultural sustainable natural resources
management systems support more equitable and sustainable security of co-existence for
populations facing the disadvantages of cultural exclusion and marginalization resulting from
policy state-dominated frameworks and avoid the evaluations leading to conflicts. The
collaborative spaces operating in socio-intercultural sustainable natural resources management
systems is based on the priorities existing within, the imperative ethical values and capabilities
to work and develop sustainable communicative processes with people that have different or
contrary frames of references (Allenby, 2006: 8).
Co-motion demands socio-intercultural competences and capabilities on sustainable natural
resources management systems. Co-motion is related to co-management processes between
local community and indigenous institutions and nation-state dominant institutions (Muller
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2008c). Socio-intercultural sustainable natural resources management system frameworks
require the co-motion and local Administration with local indigenous institutional governance
to secure outcomes of cultural while denying the dominant cultural construction (Weir, 2009;
Muller, 2012, Wohling, 2009).
Socio-intercultural sustainable natural resources management systems should be rigorous and
coherent discipline, accessible to local and global economic, social, political and environmental
processes, responsive and accountable to the involved people, institutions, groups, etc., within
the different levels of governance. The socio-intercultural capacity deficit of the state
government imposes loss of sustainable socio-intercultural governance measured by an impact
assessment on rights, property and sustainable natural resources management that derives in
marginalization and exclusion. The socio-intercultural capacity deficits of individuals,
communities, agencies and institutions limit the operational effectiveness and the socio-
intercultural communication of the sustainable natural resources management systems.
Systemic thinking, problem-solving and cause-effects are limited approaches when
empowering people through socio-intercultural partnerships to take action in decision-making
processes and building capacities in sustainable development. Indigenous and local authorities
struggle to achieve recognition and autonomy in sustainable natural resources management
systems and resource management.
Developing a critical understanding of socio-intercultural capacity building of governance
sustaining the local and indigenous knowledge aimed to the tasks of caring for government,
society and culture (Gibbs, 2009; Howitt and Lunkapis, 2010; Weir, 2011) is crucial to socio-
intercultural sustainable natural resources management. socio-intercultural spaces can
coexistence between local community indigenous and state domains and regulations in
territories where the planning agencies can develop the socio-intercultural capacities of projects
and land use planning zoning and practices of resource allocation subject to planning and
development controls.
Nation state government institutions and agencies do not have socio-intercultural capacities to
respond to local communities and indigenous demands implicated in sustainable natural
resources management systems. Community mapping and social planning systems supported
by an analysis of impact on assessment framework of values, rights and experiences in
sustainable natural resources management make decisions based on public participation, self-
determination and self-governance (Loomis, 2000; Ridder and Pahl-Wostl, 2005; Xanthaki,
2007). The interdependency among community people and their cross-boundary concerns and
issues related the nature of environmental challenges and the coordination across the sustainable
natural resources management governance levels, and other policy and spatial domains.
Communities should participate in the organization for sustainable natural resource use,
planning to enact practices supported by the collective action involving all the actors and
stakeholders to contribute to addressing the sustainability concerns and issues. Collective action
can overcome non-sustainable patterns of sustainable natural resources management aimed to
more sustainable governance practices (Premchander et al., 2003).
Community and organizational governance requires interconnection among all the involved
participants to be integrated and coordinated across all governance levels and organizations
aligned to plans, activities and priorities of the sustainable natural resources’ management. An
instrumental rational governance is based on a functional interconnectivity to build
interdependencies across all the government, territory and policy scales and levels of
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government (Dovers, 2005). Governance authorities must have access to all available sources
of knowledge and resources to make decisions and generate solutions on the design and
implementation of a decentralized governance system for sustainable natural resources
management by adopting a collaborative approach and avoiding top down or vertical
governance of institutional structures.
The indicators of outcome performance following the benchmarking enable to track the
sustainable natural resources management governance and promote transparency and
accountability. Socio-intercultural nature resource management governance system has several
difficulties to be implemented (Lunkapis 2010). The socio-intercultural sustainable natural
resources management system must analyze the foundational values and take into account the
issues of security, autonomy and sustainability in its context to determine the policies, programs
and procedures of the governance system (Cornell, 2006).
The dominant land use and development planning systems centered on sustainable natural
resources management takes the form of a top-down approach in which the public interest is
hostile to any expression of socio-intercultural governance based on local indigenous values.
Sustainable urban planning seeks to create attractive land-use combinations to meet the needs
of residents and environmental challenges, including urban farming agriculture and gardening.
Urban planning seeks to create and incorporate to sustainable city development more attractive
land use combinations to provide recreational, educational, tourism, cultural, agricultural and
farming, gardening, urban forestry, aquaculture, health services, commerce, (van de Berg and
van Veenhuizen, 2005; Deelstra et all, 2006).
However, urban land use planning and design authorities for a sustainable environment does
not necessarily considers relevant the natural resources and land provision to support urban
food production, except for urban planning policies supporting gardening. Therefore, urban
land use policies and rules may negatively affect local food production and distribution (City
of Portland, 2007).
On the other hand, multi-functional urban planning involves participation of diverse
stakeholders in decisions on green infrastructure planning and implementation of solutions and
community greening is a community-based effort to transform underutilized sites and areas into
valuable green spaces such as community gardens (Tidball and Krasny 2009). Community
organizations on nature conservation focus on the protection and conservation of urban social
ecosystems from dysfunctional anthropogenic activities in order to adapt the development and
achieve economic efficiency.
Innovative and integrated sustainable initiatives and strategies in urban land-use planning can
contribute to green resilient economic growth, social development issues such as inclusion and
equality and environmental sustainability.
The interest of this study is to identify some of the key intersections among the determinants of
the stakeholder’s intentions that leads to entrepreneurial in terms of their interests and access to
opportunities in sustainable natural resources management and planning of land use.
Stakeholders are heterogeneous, distributed, and may be dependent, independent and inter
dependent, and their interrelationships are complex.
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METHODS
The research questions: In seeking to understand the role that the entrepreneurial inclusive civic
culture plays in promoting socio-economic transformations in urban communities, some of the
questions that this study addresses are:
1) How do actors embedded in different and disparate logics create and develop a new
logic that builds an entrepreneurial inclusive civic culture, trust between each other’s,
shared understandings and governs interactions across different fields of interest
interests?
2) What are the main success determinant factors that have contributed to the development
of entrepreneurial inclusive civic culture intentions have led to the achievement of
socio-economic and environmental transformation of an urban community?
3) What are some of the main obstacles and challenges as determinant factors that hamper
the entrepreneurial inclusive civic culture of an urban community?
4) How can this transformative intervention be implemented in other urban communities
with more efficiency and effectiveness to ensure economic, social and environmental
sustainability?
To address and answer these questions, it was conducted a qualitative analysis of a multi-
stakeholder based on a case study. Methodology employed through grounded multi-stakeholder
social and community constructions in action.
For data gathering the instruments employed were:
1) Formal and informal interviews, informal and formal conversations, meetings,
conferences and social gaps.
2) Non participant observation of behavioral intentions, attitudes, individual subjective
norms, perceived social control and self-efficacy.
3) Archival data: Documental, minute meetings, journaling and media articles, web site
data and information, presentations, workshop reports, end note reports, video
presentations.
However, some challenges and obstacles have been met and overcame at the beginning of the
research, among others, the access to the community because de stigma and fear to estrangers,
using the voice, language and terms of the different stakeholders and actors involved and the
capture of the contextual determinants and their impacts on the formation of the entrepreneurial
inclusive civic culture.
Data analysis: Grounded theory construct coding based on processual analysis: temporal
bracketing, visual mapping.
Identifying causal effects is very hard in this type of study based on empirical evidences on the
long term results.
It is assumed that determinants of entrepreneurial intentions may lead to inclusive civic culture
behaviors influenced by access to resources.
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[Please insert figure 1 about here]
To conduct this study, it was spent eight months attending the Zapopan Agro ecological Park
and observing the individual activities of the members of the community and the collective
Teocintle organization, social gatherings, training sessions and cultural festivals, learning about
their plans and issues. The individual and collective emotions were very strong during the
interviews, formal and informal conversations with members of the community. During this
period of eight months, it was created and developed some very strong relationships of trust
and cooperation.
Also for the general analysis of the study, the methodology principles of RRBM is applied in
general terms:
1) Service to community and society at large.
2) Basic and applied emotions, embeddedness and governance.
3) Pluralistic and multidisciplinary processes.
4) Methodology employed through grounded multi-stakeholder social and community
constructions in action.
5) Involvement of stakeholders and actors at every stages.
6) Impact of stakeholders, better understanding of what works and what does not.
7) Broad implementation and dissemination to all internal and external involved
stakeholders.
PARQUE AGROECOLÓGICO DE ZAPOPAN, A SPACE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL
INCLUSIVE CIVIC CULTURE
The Zapopan Agro ecological Park is in the bio-economy field of agro ecology food, health and
energy. It is an innovative public space that combines the direct participation of the community
of an urban farm project that practices that support of the sustainability culture (such as the
recollection of organic waste for the production of compost) as well as training workshops on
different agro ecological themes to generate a unique space in the city open to all citizens.
Within the programs of the Public Space Authority of the municipality, Zapopan focused on
the needs of the community, to generate job opportunities and entrepreneurship in the agro
ecological Park. The kids connect with the eco technicians, which can give them the opportunity
to improve their own housing, generate construction projects and self-construction (Martínez,
2016).
The Zapopan Agro ecological Park, is a space open to all the public where, through workshops,
practice and coexistence, there is a collective learning on issues related to agro ecology, self-
sufficiency, environmental knowledge and social awareness (Traffic ZMG, 2016). This center
of inclusion is a space that generate and promote opportunities for the local people. (Martínez,
2016). Citizens are also able to have access to areas such as: An educational center built with
natural materials, a boardroom/ library, a classroom, and an urban garden that is an important
part of the project so the people can relate. The park has a nursery for the reproduction of plants,
a compound area to produce fertilizers, a main square, the first West Edible Forest, ecological
baths, a rainwater collection and distribution system to make the park self-sustainable. In
addition, several ecological workshops, cultural and sports activities are being held within the
areas (Gobierno de Zapopan, 2015).
Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3825668

In this space it has been found that it had a fertile ground to grow: radish, chard, cabbage,
lettuce, parsley, parsley, corn, beans, arugula, basil, chayote, broccoli, chili, potato, chives,
sunflower, etc., are some of the more than eighty species of edible consumption, medicinal
plants, etc. In the orchard you can find crops of various vegetables such as chard, lettuce,
lavender, squash, squash, arugula, onion, cilantro, parsley, pineapple, bean, celery, cabbage,
chayote, tomato, green tomato and African cucumber, among others (Rocha, 2016). The main
goal of this project is to continue fostering social cohesion and work for a better health through
orchards and urban agriculture. Zapopan Government has a agro ecological network of parks
in strategic areas of the municipality. An agro ecological park is the perfect project for public
space, an environmental sustainability component where people of the community can produce
their own food (El Informador, 2017). See figure 2 below.
[Please insert figure 2 about here]
The Zapopan Agro ecological Park it’s a space that became a meeting and a development space
for the community in an urban environment which is committed to sustainability and to organize
events such as the “Teocintle” fest, which is celebrated to raise awareness about the existence
of the capacity of the human beings to generate his own resources, this, to allow them to subsist
(food, utensils) and to connect the community, land, work and practice their traditions. The
events celebrated and organized in the park, offer different activities such as: workshops of
urban gardens, rally, craft market, food area, barter, dance, music, conversation and networking,
outdoor cinema, among others (Trafico ZMG, 2016). César Medina in collaboration with the
Municipal Government of Zapopan and the University Center of Biological and Agricultural
Sciences (CUCBA) of Universidad de Guadalajara keep working in this and other projects
(Gobierno de Zapopan, 2016).
As the matter of time spend starting with “Tierra Crudas” work, began with the drafting of the
project to manage the funds in the month of June 2013. Many people have collaborated in the
construction of this park, specifically “Tierra Cruda”. The municipal government of Zapopan
was in charge of the design and the general master plan of the park, construction of the
classroom-office complex, the module of dry baths and the perimeter fence of the orchard. The
local authorities also were in charge of design and build the social aspect of the park, which
means it generate the social-neighborhood appropriation for the project and train them in agro
ecological sowing. From this social process, the Collective Agro ecological Teocintle (CAT)
was emerged (Gobierno de Zapopan, 2015).
The people that works and participate in the park always produce their own compost, build
beds, seek to improve and make innovations in environmental terms, seek the common good,
and make decisions. (El Informador, 2017). The community garden is designed in a circular
form for a better use. Currently there are 47 beds of cultivation available for anyone with
knowledge in bio intensive crops and meets the requirements of the collective. In the social
matter it can be said that the park was appropriated through its community gardening where 32
families are working organized by the Collective Teocintle Agro ecological. In addition, this
space offers several workshops to the neighbors of the park as the rest of the inhabitants of the
Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara.
The municipality of Zapopan catapults this project with collaboration of other civil
organizations and universities, in order to promote self-consumption and environmental
education. With the collaboration of the Collective Teocintle Agro ecological, Farid Morales,
who became the coordinator of the park employed by DIF in Zapopan, officials of the
institution, with help of Carlos Bauche and Fernando Partida BambuXal, as well as the
Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3825668

consultants for the general design of the park, the orchard and the edible forest by Máshumus
and also the Cooperative “Las Cañadas” (Gobierno de Zapopan, 2015). The Teocintle
Collective helps those who come and teach them how to grow their own food, which makes
citizens feel productive and healthier.
Local Authorities from the municipality of Zapopan want to empower them, increase capacities
with projects and workshops that are specialized in urban agriculture and has knowledge in seed
production and compost. All this focused on community organization. The municipality is in
charge of coordinating and managing the workshops and activities of the collective and
community. Once a month, the local authority of the municipal government and the city
Council, organize a tour to different orchards, including this park that is open to the community
and is a public space meaning that anyone can be part of it.
Is important to say that the proper authority of this public space is responsible for the Park,
which includes the orchard and the edible forest. It is managed by the collective Teocintle and
is a project belonging to these local spaces authorities from the municipal administration of
Zapopan, Jalisco. This is also impelled through the Direction of Public Spaces. Teocintle Agro
ecological Collective is an organization that works in the management of the orchard of the
park. The chief of the Public Spaces in Zapopan among César Lepe Medina, coordinator of this
project and manager of the Special projects of public spaces office in the city, are now in charge
of this park. The collective is divided into commissions involved in gardening activities. New
people can decide if they want to be members. Currently, there are about 40 families from the
community, represented by one person, that are part of the park.
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF PARQUE AGROECOLÓGICO DE ZAPOPAN
Speaking of the financial part, the Zapopan Agro ecological Park had an investment of
approximately 5 million pesos and has an important impact in 110 direct beneficiaries, in
addition to the communities surrounding the park and people interested in participating in this
project (Gobierno de Zapopan, 2015). The budget of the park has an income that comes from
several sources of financing and contributions. See table 1 below.
[Please insert table 1 about here]
The Agro ecological park is located in a farm with almost two hectares in the Metropolitan area
of Guadalajara (ZMG) that has the highest rate of violence and criminality. This space used to
be a ravine and that was filled with rubble. The first intervention took place with the
construction of a board and with the installation of urban furniture and public lighting by the
Special Projects of Zapopan Office. (Gobierno de Zapopan, 2015). This sustainable project also
includes the creation of classrooms made from bamboo, a waste separation and recycling
system of plastic, paper, glass, metal, organic waste and PET. The park has a central classroom
that was built with materials such as wood and straw. This building is contemplating its use to
be a meeting point, a conference place and a market display, this, to give an opportunity to those
who collaborate in the management of the ecological garden, giving them this space to offer
their products. The park has a dry bath system that is used to reuse the generated waste as a
compost and it also counts rainwater raining dam with capacity of 750-thousand-liter rainwater
harvesting board and 20-thousand-liter storage tank that will provide water to the orchard and
forest during the dry season which was also constructed by Agro ecological Zapopan Park.
Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3825668

As a result, the Local Authority of the Public Space of Zapopan, through the Zapopan Agro
ecological Park, offers a space for community building and collaborative work, where one of
its priorities is the orchard where 25 to 35 kilos of food are produced and harvested weekly
(Gobierno de Zapopan, 2016). The production has several types of vegetables, fruits, medicinal
plants and ornament plants. There are more than 50 species as pumpkin, beet, sesame,
strawberry, lettuce, Swiss chard, bean that are gown in this park. Other products are elaborated
with this harvests such natural slurries or milks made from seeds such as almond or canary seed.
The Solar dehydrators was created to dehydrate foods such as tomatoes, traditional footwear
based on pre-Hispanic roots and even the elaboration of biocosmetics made with plants such as
lavender and lemon.
The public perception is positive, nowadays, there are a lot of people who finds comfort and
relief in this orchards, they like being part of something, connecting with people who feels the
same way and are working hard to stay productive, to have a decent income and to live a better
and healthier life. The environmental education also has a very important impact in the activities
and people working in this park to make a sustainable lifestyle.
CONCLUSION
Parque Agroecologist de Zapopan is a model of sustainable natural resources management and
land use planning. This park marks a milestone in the regeneration of public spaces with a
project of social and environmental relevance. It is important to mention that the park was a
wasteland and a place of total disuse. A total of 1.8 hectares, on Santa Laura Street, in the colony
Santa Margarita (colony with more than 33 thousand inhabitants), now live in peace. This place
has now recovered from being abandoned, and today is the reflection of hard work and
creativity of citizens and authorities that are a model for this public space with pedagogical
purposes and for the constant neighborhood participation.
The entrepreneurial intentions of the stakeholders and actors involved in the project have
predicted the entrepreneurial behaviors, confirming the theory of planned behavior and their
entrepreneurial activities to create opportunities to influence economic performance. Moreover,
the implemented model of entrepreneurial inclusive civic culture has demonstrated that
entrepreneurial intentions and activities are beyond the increasing economic growth and
efficiency, to have influence in social development, inclusiveness, equality and justice.
Moreover, in the field of environmental sustainability, the model clearly has impacts on the
improvement of the socio-ecosystem and biodiversity.
The study analyses the determinant factors that successfully have contributed to create and
develop an entrepreneurial inclusive culture leading to social transformation of a community
based on agro ecology and green practices in an urban space. Changes at the meso level related
to community and organizational interaction cycles of the Zapopan Agro ecological Park have
been introduced to create and develop an entrepreneurial inclusive civis culture in social
learning, shared values, the perception and sense of community and inclusiveness,
entrepreneurial values, enactment of shared values and civic culture. All these changes have
been possible due to the access to natural resources, financial, human and cultural capital
through contributions of the main actors and stakeholders. At the micro level, the participation
of these actors and stakeholders are related to their involvement in the individual attitudes,
personal subjective norms, perceived social control, self-efficacy, socio emotional energy,
involvement, engagement and commitment.
Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3825668

All these determinants at both levels of analysis have led to community transformation,
formation of moral values, creation of relationships of cooperation and trust, social capital and
social agency. All these determinants have contributed to the creation and development of an
entrepreneurial inclusive civic culture model of community development. The results of the
implementation of this project have contributed to increase the economic income of families,
collectivities and communities participating, while reducing the gaps of social inequality,
inclusiveness and justice. Moreover, the results of the analysis clearly show an improvement in
biodiversity, socio-eco-ecosystem and environmental sustainability.
Other important contributions derived of the analysis of results, it should be mentioned some
important issues such as fair commerce, food security and sovereignty, participative democracy,
innovation in urban green areas, and so on. All these topics and issues should be treated in
future research.
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