Disputed Territory: The development of the private neighborhood "Lagos del Mar" (2011-2021) on the Mar Chiquito Biosphere Reserve, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

In Argentina, with the advance of neoliberalism since the 1970s, urban and rural spaces have been subject to a range of modifications that intensify over time. As it happened in Latin America, Argentina witnessed the creation and expansion of gated communities driven by state reforms in economic, political, social, and territorial matters. In Mar Chiquita, a district in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, these types of gated communities have also been installed, especially from the early 21st century onwards, coinciding with improvements in the district's coastal corridor infrastructure. However, this phenomenon is not devoid of territorial disputes, where disparate interests jeopardize, for example, protected areas, as is the case with the intentions of economic agents seeking to advance a private neighborhood on a Reserve. Faced with this multifaceted problem, the objective is to analyze the territory management stemming from the construction of a gated community in the Mar Chiquita district on a Biosphere Reserve, considering the territorial conflicts that unfolded between 2011 and 2021. The methodological approach is qualitative, based on literature review, legal instruments, direct observation, and interviews with qualified informants. The results highlight the role of real estate capital in territorial management, as well as the mechanisms and strategies employed by civil society to confront impositions legitimized by the State.