Sustainable local development and public environmental management. Articulation between environmental NGOS and the municipality of Luján, Province of Buenos Aires, during the 2005-2007 period

Abstract

Local sustainable environmental development of the territory considers economic, social and environmental variables, and in it political legitimacy is essential: it needs to be built through a consensus within a democratic sphere. The articulation between social actors (the State, the civil society and the market) constitutes a relevant dimensión in order for it to be achieved. This paper aims at identifying the potential and restrictions of the articulation between the municipality and non-governmental organizations in order to manage environmental problems, taking into account the role played by the local scientific community in that relationship. The appropriate spatial cutting for the investigation is the Municipality of Luján in the Province of Buenos Aires, which has a large number and a wide variety of NGOs, meets the population scale requirements for local development. Moreover, the main offices of the Universidad Nacional de Luján are in it.