The Project Strategies Methodology (M.E.P.) is a process that has been under development since 2013 within the Architecture and Urbanism program at Mackenzie Presbyterian University (FAUMACK). It has been applied by the Project Strategies in Urban, Degraded, and Port Territories research group (LAB-STRATEGY) through international workshops, conferences, academic outreach, and educational materials across various geographical regions of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The methodology stems from classical systemic planning theories, which were based on the production of territorial control systems in the 1960s, contrasting them with the strategic planning processes that guided planning theory in the 1980s. It draws on J. Brian McLoughlin's 1969 work, Urban and Regional Planning: A Systems Approach, and Jordi Borja and Manel de Forn's 2006 concepts on the strategic planning of cities, which establish: “…Therefore, within this system, any spatial or structural variation or change in its parts will result in a chain reaction that modifies and influences the other parts of the system.”
Grounded in a systemic conceptualization of territorial analysis and an understanding of its defining elements, the approach is built on the premise of unlocking potential—both physical and social. By utilizing indicators and active territorial stakeholders, it establishes the macro-hypothesis: “Urban territories and cities represent an opportunity for reconfiguration, generating greater urbanity rather than just local infrastructure.”
