Relocation of Informal Urban Settlements: Social Housing Plan in Antofagasta, Chile

Abstract

South America has been facing the issue of informal housing construction due to rapid urbanization during the 20th century. In Chile, the issue has been ongoing since the 1950s. Many government-led housing programmes with varying results have been conducted throughout the time. However, Since the turn of the 21st-century urban encampments have spread due to growing financial inequality and rising costs of living. The mining city of Antofagasta has been able to keep the emergence of informal settlements under control, but in recent years the number of encampments has increased drastically.

In this thesis I studied the current situation of illegal housing areas in Chile and Antofagasta, their problematics and possible social housing design solutions through a case example in the suburban area of Los Arenales. The research was done by examining the site and its conditions in situ, getting to know the local social housing practices and by interviewing the locals. The design was commissioned by the City Planning Office of Antofagasta and I further developed it as part of this thesis.

The written part describes first the reasons for the emerging informal urban settlements in Antofagasta and how to tackle the question of relocating them - or if they should be relocated. In the second part I’m searching ways to involve the dwellers in the area’s design process and finding the key ingredients of designing a functioning social housing area. I present some examples of current social housing projects and the concept of incremental housing through designs by Alejandro Aravena and reflect on their outcome.

The design task has been divided into two phases. The first design phase is done in Chile according to the city officials’ requirements and the second phase takes a deeper and more profound look into the urban design and how it could be developed to serve the dwellers better and help them integrate into the local society and culture. The task was to design housing for the 1000 families of the informal settlement “Los Arenales”. In addition to housing, it was also important to provide infrastructure and services as well as high quality urban areas. The project is a relocation that seeks to find a solution that keeps the community close to their current neighbourhood and is in balance with the needs of the residents and city planners.

The conclusion of my thesis is that in Chile the problem of informal settlements can be solved through participatory planning together with the communities. Existing encampments can be developed. However, aggressive uprooting and relocation measures should not be taken. The government al policies on social housing can be transformed to a more bottom-up approach. Most of the local social housing projects are inadequate, isolating and don’t meet the needs of people, but with careful changes, this can be overcome. The design of “Los Arenales” emphasizes the possibility for people to extend and construct their housing as they want, and this way offer homes that meet the requirements of different kind of families. And most importantly, provide dignified living conditions for all.