The rise of planetary urbanization: from the Iberian Mediterranean to the Ecuadorian Amazon

The objective of this article is to explore the transformation of open spaces based on the extension and deepening of the urbanization process on a planetary scale, a process that today concerns the entire territory and has rendered obsolete the old distinctions between urban and rural spaces. To do this, the research analyzes land uses in two very diverse areas-the Iberian Mediterranean coast and the Ecuadorian Amazon-to show how urban activities are transforming, in both cases, the uses of open spaces. The comparison starts with the reading of nocturnal satellite images, which allows analysis of the intensity of the uses of the territory from the emitted luminosity. The results obtained through radiance levels show the relationship between the evolution of luminosity and the economic dynam-ics implemented in the territories analyzed and allows verification of the importance of permanent anthropic uses in the open spaces of both territories.