Bonilla-Bedoya, SantiagoEstrella, AnabelVaca-Yánez, AngélicaHerrera, MIguel Ángel2022-06-282022-06-282020https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01426397.2019.1641589?journalCode=clar20https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14809/3344The urban-rural dichotomy and the simple cause-effect relationship do not allow establishing specific criteria for territorial management from a socio-ecological perspective. The gradient approach could be a powerful tool to understand urban socio-ecological dynamics. This research applied a methodological protocol to obtain urban-rural gradients while considering the specific characteristics of a mid-size Andean city. To achieve this goal, a mixed classification process was applied to a Landsat 8 image. Subsequently, a factor analysis (FA) grouped 25 urbanisation variables. Finally, we applied agglomerative hierarchical clustering. FA established four factors that explained (72%) of the urbanisation metrics’ variation. From this information, we obtained factor maps and a gradient map. The resulting map differentiated six gradients that contrast with the city’s territorial planning based on the urban-rural dichotomy. This study is a starting point to apply the gradient approach in land-use management and urban ecology planning for Andean cities. © 2019, © 2019 Landscape Research Group Ltd.engopenAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/article