Browsing by Author "Figueroa Martinez, Cristhian"

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    The construction of three metropolises a geographic, productive and configurational process
    (2017) Figueroa Martinez, Cristhian; Mora, Rodrigo; Greene Zuniga, Margarita
    The explosive urban growth in developing countries has often resulted in social and territorial disparities, with zones well-provided with urban services, equipment and amenities for affluent groups and vast areas lacking infrastructure and services populated by the poor. This paper proposes that a configurational analysis of the urban process of metropolitan cities could shed light on the spatial mechanisms behind urban inequality. Specifically, we attempted to analyse (i) the historical urban tendencies related to changing economies and (ii) geographical constrains that determinate the suitable land for urban development. Three Chilean cities (Santiago, Valparaiso and Concepción) accommodate more than half of the national population. For each metropolitan area, a set of historical axial maps was drawn (1875, 1915, 1965 and 2015) that were analysed in relation to the geography and productive activities of the moment. With the global (HH) and local (r3) integrations, the main changes in the urban structures were identified, highlighting the migration of the centres and the characteristics of the most integrated/segregated areas. The trends of urban growth in the three cities evidence a process that starts with a geographic positioning of the city, very much in line with its economic vocation and viability, enhanced by a spatial configuration that potentiates both the geography and the economic potentials of the region. Nevertheless, when economic, social and cultural conditions vary the city adapts, centralities change and develop and in some cases the deep structure of the city changes. The configurational analysis allowed us to understand three very different cases which we believe can be compared and shed light in the development of other cities.