Ninth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Currently, most of the world’s population lives in urban centers and, at the same time, consumes more energy and produces more CO2. The growth of the cities is, in part, responsible for the deforestation of green areas that contribute to the mitigation of climate change. Faced with this problem, from the paradigm of ecological urban planning, the proposal of urban ecological corridors - also known as green corridors - has emerged. In this study, we argue that the Thomas van der Hammen Forest Reserve, as an urban ecological corridor, must be protected by competent authorities, precisely because of its potential in mitigating climate change.The first part of the document is divided into two subsections: one will analyze the characteristics of urban ecological corridors as restorers of biodiversity, which contain urban expansion, contribute to the restoration and conservation of natural ecosystems and reduce the effects of heat islands; in the next, the negative effects of urban expansion on the environment, such as the production of greenhouse gases, will be addressed. The second part will also present two subsections: the first will analyze the lack of coordination between national initiatives and the functions of territorial ordering that local authorities support in the institutional framework for mitigating climate change in Colombia