La integración social como desafío: análisis del programa de campamentos en Chile (2011-2018)

Abstract

One of the main challenges for social integration in Latin American cities is the presence of informal settlements, where a significant percentage of the poorest urban population live. Although in Chile urban informality is less frequent than in other countries of the region, the recent growth of informal settlements bestows greater relevance to the problem. This article studies the effects on social integration and exclusion of policies aimed at informal settlements in Chile, specifically through the execution of the Programa de Campamentos or ‘informal settlements’ program’ between 2011 and 2018. Analysis considers quantitative data from Informal Settlements’ Surveys, and the study of four cases in different regions in the country focusing on strategies aimed at informal settlement closure strategies through a qualitative analysis of interviews, focus groups and walking tours. The results reveal the importance of dimensions such as affect and attachment, sense of belonging and participation in the generation of social integration, thus allowing for the discussion of perspectives on integration that are based exclusively on spatial proximity.