Metropolitan expansion typologies in Santiago de Chile: State precariópolis and privatópolis real estate

Abstract

One of the main expressions of the urban changes unfolding in large Latin American cities, and in urban areas of the third world in general, are land use changes in peripheral locations. The aim of this article is to present empirical evidence of these changes and provide theoretical elements to understand the emergence of a new spatial configuration in the periphery of the Metropolitan Area of Santiago, Chile. We base our analysis on the two main elements accounting for the urbanization of the periphery: social housing and condominiums. In this context, our interest is focused on analyzing the different dimensions and processes allowing the construction of a new metropolitan socio-residential geography. We emphasize the resulting spatial forms and the uneven role played by the agents involved; including real estate investors, the State, and the inhabitants.