Opportunities for Local Development: The Case of Southwest Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Abstract

In recent decades, rural areas near Bahía Blanca (Buenos Aires, Argentina) struggle with many changes as a result of economic and technological transformations. Tese changes have limited rural communities' economic development options, making older development strategies less viable and forcing many to look for nontraditional ways to sustain themselves. One of the most popular strategies has been tourism and recreational activities. The purpose of this article is to establish how public and private initiatives are linked to the local development process. The interviews carried out made it possible to observe a process of transformation in the territory, which involves institutions, organization of actors, and strategies for addressing challenges and opportunities.

Keywords

• desarrollo local
• estratégia turístico-recreativa
• iniciativas públicas y privadas
• “nueva ruralidad”
• territorio rural