Calibrating Supra-Local Urbanism: A Critical Analysis of the Urbanization Prototypes in the Metropolitan Area of Rosario

Abstract

The declining influence of urban planning in shaping metropolitan structures has been one of the main limitations of territorial governance in Latin America. Since the consolidation of strategic planning in the 1990s, regulatory frameworks have relegated the spatial and morphological aspects of urbanism to the measurement of quantitative indicators, thereby reducing the capacity of local administrations to intervene in the increasingly expansive and differentiated processes of urbanization. Against this backdrop, this study examines the potential of urban prototypes developed by the Ente de Coordinación Metropolitana de Rosario (ECOMR) as instruments for articulating design strategies and regulatory criteria at a supralocal scale. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research compares three prototypes representative of different forms of urban growth in the Rosario Metropolitan Area, combining documentary analysis with interviews conducted with ECOMR technical staff. The findings indicate that these prototypes help to overcome regulatory and operational fragmentation by integrating morphological and socio-economic dimensions into urban design. It is argued that a supralocal urbanism based on flexible, open, and collaborative urban projects can prevent regulatory standardization and contribute to a more situated and inclusive urban development.