Identification pilot project(s) sustainable development Partido de Zaráte Along the waterfront of the Paraná Delta exists a network of cities with different scales of importance as well as diverse specializations. From ports to industrial poles or recreation, the cities impact on the delta with different intensity. Largest cities or metropolitan areas are the capital of Buenos Aires, Gran Rosario and Santa Fe.The partido of Zárate is located in the province of Buenos Aires, in the Middle delta. It has a population of 114 269 habitants and a surface of 1.202 km2, of which 54% belongs to the zone of islands of the pre-delta Rio de la Plata. The Partido of Zarate is divided by Island and Continental sectors. In the middle of these two sectors runs the river Paraná de Las Palmas. General objectiveThe general objective of the broader Paraná Delta project (nr 1) is to characterize the current state of the Paraná River Delta and evaluate its development possibilities from an integral sustainable perspective and based on the experience of local groups. The project  of Zarate can be seen and framed as an identification of one of the potential sustainable pilot projects within this broader vision. Where the project of the Delta Paraná focuses now on the ‘macro’ scale, the identification of a sustainable development strategy of Zárate zooms in on a more  ‘micro’ scale in that respect. It is a project that comprises the challenge to show concretely how sustainable living in the delta could look like and be developed as an example for other cities in the delta. In practice it is a project taking into consideration the combined challenges of providing water safety (to prevent the urban area of Zárate against flooding), to securing the ecosystems of the wetland area and it’s ecosystem services and - within ecological boundaries - creating space for urban/economic developments.BackgroundThe administrative area of Zárate already has a landuse plan for the urban part of the city. A spatial plan for the wetland area on the other side of the river (Sector Islas) is lacking. Besides it’s ecological functions the wetland area also serves as natural space at high river discharge and is therefore important for water safety. At the same time the area is – as in other parts of the delta – under pressure. Some of the zones are already demarcated as protected wetland area, other parts are not. The administrative area of Zárate wants to develop a sustainable vision on the area using  Dutch experience, techniques and methodologies of “living with water” and “water as motor of development”. Objective of the project was to organize a participative design workshop to  to identifiy together with local stakeholders and design partner Colegio de Arquitectos de Zárate a draft strategy and projects of “Living in the Delta” for the sustainable development of the Municipality of Zárate. Deltas around the world share similar challenges: environmental-sensitive pressure due to changes in land use, fragmentation in management to name a few. However, they also share similar advantages: intrinsic wealth of the soil, possibilities for new energy sources, new innovative uses, and new ways of production. The Municipality of Zárate, with its continental and insular area within the Paraná Delta, shares this international framework of challenges and advantages. During a two day workshop, the integration of the continental and insular area was pursued through various ideas and projects. A group of “city makers” defined the amount of current or to-be-developed projects that contribute to this integration, and at the same time, contribute to the Delta’s sustainable development. The workshop was success- fully developed, largely due to the role of the local partner in the previous preparations.The results obtained are the initial stage towards a sustainable integration with climate adaptation for the whole Municipality of Zárate.The selected projects in the insular area are based on making use of existing nature, alternative economy, ecological tourism, water sports, natural water systems and social inclusion of the islanders. In the mainland area, the transformations have a more urban emphasis, except within the coastal identity of the city, which is similar to the waterfront, urban reserves, fishermen trade and ferry ports. The integration of both areas must be supported by an adequate mobility system in the insular area and by an efficient connection with the continental area. The mobility strategy must guarantee the accessibility and habitability of the Municipality of Zárate as a whole: public transport (land and water), non-motorized networks, reorganization and categorization of the car network. The development of projects must contemplate a financial strategy that guarantees the costs of studies, execution and maintenance. The emblematic project chosen, the “Puerto de Pescadores” (the Fishermen’s Haven), should be located in a wide context, like a master plan for the entire area of the islands. Within this master plan an initial strategy must be developed: an axis of mixed development north-south, with connection through the Yrigoyen channel.The final recommendations on the steps to follow should contemplate an investment in the “capacity building” of the local partner. The process of management and administration of these projects must be firmly anchored in an innovative management that guarantees the realization of the projects. All the proposed changes must be adapted to the current land use legislation (Preliminary delimitation of areas, 1983, Code of Islands, 2013), feeding its development, transformation and necessary adjustments. Finally, it is very important to continue with the bottom-up work, where the summation of each County’s strategies to the river forms a “pearl necklace”,each with its own identity.Recommendations1.	It is recommended to deepen the achieved vision in the workshop until the drawing up of a strategic integration and development masterplan, specifying even more the concept building with nature.This vision should include topics such as spatial planning, hydrology, edaphology, traffic, production, ecology and management; for the islands and for the mainland area. It’s a base framework for the development of different suitable intervention strategies. For this strategic master plan, right after the workshop, we drafted a more advanced document. The strategy rescues the DNA, the identity, of the whole Delta, where the production and natural landscape intertwine with the borders and urban centers.  The production landscape is intensified and drawn from strategic guidelines result of an understanding in topography, soil quality, and the possibility to generate adequate logistics and fundamentally generating a synergy with the natural environment, bringing good solutions to the stability of the fields and the hydrological system.In contrast, the natural landscape aims to recover the Delta’s original and native nature, defining the space for the water and protecting areas to generate the balance between natural and intervened environment. This objective aims to keep large unoccupied areas for the natural forces to lay out the islands’ design. This unique landscape of our country deserves to be traveled by tourism, attracting other investments and strategies that will support the development of the urban settlements on its banks. It is of great importance to build in conjunction with nature, including the features of the island area which are susceptible to flooding due to flood waters and strong sudestadas.In order the selected projects to be successful, it is essential to establish a common long-term vision for transport and the development of mobility throughout the study area covering all modes of transport. In establishing the vision, it is important to take into account specific characteristics and challenges of the local situation both for the Isla and the territorial area.The strategy will have a coherent interaction between the three main pillars of urban mobility:-	Orgware – a planning system that includes all the stakeholders involved in a project. This ensures that all visions are taken into account, resulting in strong planning strategies, laws, regulations and guidelines;-	Hardware - planning, scenario development, designing and implementation of infrastructure and systems;-	and Software - culture, communication, education, health, etc. 2.	It is recommended as a next or additional step, to develop of a specific intervention strategy in the form of a master plan that leads the different stages of the process, determines sub-projects and its necessary components for the development of reference terms for its feasibility and implementation. Development in both areas, insular and mainland, in one step is an impossible task and requires a series of strategic steps. On the basis of the selected flagship project, Puerto Pescadores, and the 10 key projects, and within the shared vision, we developed a proposal of a first specific intervention strategy.3.	It is recommended to duplicate the same methodology in at least four cities and/or villages of the upper or middle delta. The result of this workshop will nurture, from a holistic and inclusive vision, even more the large-scale vision of the Paraná Delta. The methodology applied was an example of a bottom-up methodology to be able to be duplicated in other cities of the delta that share the same challenges. Achieving a manifesto is a first step to define, in a macro scale, the commitments, aspirations, and challenges of other cities. This bottom-up methodology could be continued in the cities of San Nicolás, Ramallo, San Pedro and Baradero, (Middle Delta) and with Ibicuy and Campana Islands (beginning of the Lower Delta).4.	It is recommended to invest in the creation of capacities in the local partners, in the aspects of management and administration, both of the processes and of the specific projects. The whole process of this workshop was based on Dutch knowledge and experience in the management and use of land and water. The process and results, as well as the technical application of the solutions, have a characteristic management system in the Netherlands. It is necessary to share with the local partners the basic knowledge of this characteristic way of managing the processes so that the technical solutions are really possible.