Resilient urban design in the foothills of Santiago? Contrast of communal scenarios with seismic risk due to the San Ramón Fault

Abstract

In recent decades, Santiago has seen a substantial increase in urbanized areas along its eastern foothills, where the San Ramon Fault (FSR) is also located. This has become a new geological risk scenario. Using the unquestionable appeal of the natural setting, the panoramic view of the city, and a healthy environment, luxury housing projects have been promoted that coexist with this seismic risk, something that seems to have been disregarded by communal and metropolitan planning instruments. The purpose of this article is to explore the urban design conditions on Santiago’s foothills to face the San Ramon Fault, through a contrast analysis of two specific sectors located within the potential buffer of the San Ramon Fault - the urban districts of Hospital de Carabineros in Las Condes and El Peral in Puente Alto - and the way these articulate with the natural and built environments, including critical infrastructure. Methodologically speaking, a mixed approach is applied through an analysis matrix of urban design elements that includes three areas of action - built, natural and regulatory - to identify critical situations in the areas studied, where the resilient response is either high or low. It is concluded that contrasting urban design experiences under extreme conditions regarding seismic risk is illustrative, both for permeating the operational layers of risk management such as communal and metropolitan regulations, and to consider the foothills in a resilient way, recognizing the San Ramon Fault as a new base criterion of urban design.