Introduction

Buenos Aires is in the south of the Americas and is one of the world’s great metropolises. Its 12 million inhabitants make up almost a third of the population of Argentina.

The diversity and complexity of cities of this size is evident all over the world. This is why studying their structure, dynamics, and sustainability is one of the main priorities of the United Nation’s sustainable development plan, Agenda 21.

This atlas has been developed in order to express the environmental dynamic made up of a complex system of interaction between man and nature.

This involves complex interdisciplinary work, the aims of which are:

· to begin to develop deep, expert knowledge of the city’s main environmental traits, in order to put an end to the fragmentary fashion in which both the natural and developed aspects of urban areas are usually studied.

· for this knowledge to contribute to an integrated system of urban planning and environmental management which considers the urban area as a whole, regardless of the fact that it is divided into many different jurisdictions.

· to create a reference work that summarizes and organizes academic knowledge, and presents it clearly, so that it can be understood and used by the whole of society (including technicians, students, teachers, entrepreneurs, and so on).

· to identify the defining traits of the region, the risks it is exposed to, and its potential for development.

Geomatic technology (computerized mapmaking) and multimedia resources have been used to achieve these aims. The maps, diagrams, and animations included in this atlas were designed to help you see and understand the spatial relationships between different geographic areas and elements.

The Environmental Atlas of Buenos Aires can be explored in three different, complementary ways, depending on your needs and preferences: through the landscape units, thematic units or interactive maps, as you can see in the Start Page.