Open AccessEast Timor: Steps Towards a Sustainable Urban Development
Author(s) -
Ana Sílvia Pereira Santos,
Ana L. Virtudes
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
iop conference series. earth and environmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.179
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1755-1307
pISSN - 1755-1315
DOI - 10.1088/1755-1315/609/1/012098
Subject(s) - scope (computer science) , urban planning , politics , sustainable development , spatial planning , independence (probability theory) , political science , environmental planning , business , economic growth , public administration , geography , economics , law , engineering , statistics , civil engineering , mathematics , computer science , programming language
The recognized importance of the role of cities for the overall quality of life of citizens involves the preservation of the identity of the places without restricting the capacity to respond to the future requirements of societies and their territories. The current century has been pressing for the urgency of providing adequate urban policies to cities, particularly in developing countries, as is the case with East-Timor. Despite its recent independence, East-Timor doesn’t lose its time and the country has been focused in the definition of territorial policies and development strategies, in order to promote territorial cohesion and to specifically define the purposes and the fundamental principles that guarantee equal opportunities for all citizens in access to infrastructures, equipment and urban functions. Therefore, on April 19, 2017, the Basic Law on Spatial Planning was approved by the National Assembly. Efficient public territorial management and organization is only possible with detailed knowledge of the use of its entire territory. Administrative political decisions related to the territory happen more efficiently with the existence of this knowledge. Consequently, the present National Law for Spatial Planning issues provides for the existence of two major types of planning and territorial organization instruments: those of national scope and those of municipal or local scope. A set of several spatial planning instruments are proved to be imperative, for outlining strategic objectives for future interventions in this territory, achieving a territorial, social, economic, and sustainable development. The conclusions show that these objectives towards urban development will be supported by strategies that in turn will be materialized in actions that will enable the public sector individually or in partnership with privates. The main goal is to promote the transformation of the territory and that in a concerted and programmed manner contribute to a harmonious social and economic development supported by a fair and balanced load capacity of the natural environment.