RECENT URBAN GROWTH IN THE GRAN VALPARAISO. TOWARDS A COM-FUSE RECONFIGURATION?

Abstract

In the framework of the academic discussion on urbanization and the recent urban growth trends of the main Chilean cities, this paper aims to analyze and characterize the case of the Greater Valparaiso given its metropolitan status and its relevance in the national context. In order to do so, satellite images, building permits and work commutation data are used in order to delimit its territorial extension and functional relationships, characterizing the growth experienced by this metropolitan area between 1992 and 2012. The main conclusions obtained from this analysis show that Great Valparaíso experiences multiple urban growth trends characterized by simultaneous processes of diffusion and compaction of its urbanization, generating a com-fuse urban structure, as in other Latin American cities.