Metropolitan Region Of Santiago Research Articles

Aerial Video Surveillance in a Megacity: A Case Study in Santiago, Chile

ABSTRACT The growth of gated communities and the omnipresence of video surveillance have changed urban life considerably in the last decades. Especially in cities governed by neoliberal public policies and widespread fear of crime, residents search for security, social status, and shared services in fortified enclaves where video cameras watch everybody who enters their premises. These developments are not restricted to private space, and affluent neighborhoods in megacities are eager to adopt a wide range of surveillance technology to protect their citizens. Eight years ago, the affluent municipality of Lo Barnechea in the metropolitan region of Santiago, Chile, installed a surveillance balloon in a residential area. The local security forces currently operate six balloons, and residents have become accustomed to the ever-present gaze of aerial video cameras. This article contrasts the presence of this technology in a megacity against different perspectives on surveillance and urbanism. A consideration of its panoptic features leaves an unsatisfactory explanation. Citizens actively participate in generating public policies and smart technology for public safety, as is characteristic of a maximum security society. The surveillance balloons have become a sustainable element in the urban landscape and an appreciated part of the social fabric of the residential neighborhoods.

The formalization of microenterprises in middle-income countries: informal institutions as a mechanism to address institutional incongruenceLa formalización de las microempresas en los países de ingresos medios: las instituciones informales como mecanismo para abordar la incongruencia institucionalA formalização de microempresas em países de renda média: instituições informais como mecanismo de enfrentamento da incongruência institucional

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of sales, as a proxy for size, in moderating the impact of institutional incongruence between formal and informal institutions on the formalization of microenterprises in middle-income countries in Latin America. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a probit regression model to examine business formalization as a binary outcome of formal and informal institutions. Data was collected through interviews and surveys across 52 municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile. The study used a stratified sampling approach and was conducted between November 2022 and January 2023. Findings The results offer three key insights into the formalization of microenterprises in middle-income countries. First, we show that formal institutions do not significantly influence formalization decisions among microentrepreneurs in middle-income countries, challenging the traditional belief that formal institutions alone significantly influence formalization in these contexts. Second, we show that informal institutions are significant predictors of informality, especially among smaller microenterprises. Third, we highlight that the smaller the business, the stronger the negative effect of informal institutions on formalization, and thus, the institutional incongruence between formal and informal institutions decreases for larger businesses. Originality/value This paper contributes to management literature by shedding light on the drivers of formalization in middle-income countries, a departure from most formalization studies wherein the focus is primarily on low-income economies. The findings suggest that policymakers in middle-income countries should focus on enabling microenterprise growth through sales, rather than targeting specific demographic groups or relying solely on formal institutional enforcement to promote formalization.

The Museum as a Laboratory: An Approach to the Experience of Public Museums in Chile

The present article analyzes the recent debates regarding the redefinition of the museum, exploring resonances in reflective practices and processes in public museums in Chile. While these have caused controversy and discord, they appear to converge in the need to rethink the relationship between museums and society, seeking to make them more inclusive, democratic and diverse. The present discussion is based on the preliminary results of “LAB_Museums: Contemporary Museums and Museologies”, an ongoing interdisciplinary research intervention model promoting processes of co-production of knowledge regarding museums and museography. This paper is the publication of the results of the project. To this end, a collaborative ecosystem of knowledge has been developed between the university, museums and public sector, based on the implementation of laboratories, initially, in five public museums of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile: the National Museum of Fine Arts, the National Historical Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Popular Art Museum and the National Center of Contemporary Art. The theoretical/methodological framework used was that of Institutional Analysis (IA), based on which interviews and discussion groups with museum professionals promote dialogues on the present reality and contemporary challenges of museums.

Participation in multiple policy venues in governance of Chile's Santiago Metropolitan Region: When institutional attributes can make the difference

AbstractThe complexity of metropolitan polycentric governance is still challenging scholars and practitioners, who have mostly been engaged in a normative debate in which scant attention has been paid to the coexistence and interdependence of institutional solutions. The ecology of games framework (EGF) can be used to remedy this gap. By incorporating the analysis of institutional variation into EGF propositions about venues' interdependence, this article examines the mechanisms of metropolitan governance configuration resulting from institutional complexity at the inter‐municipal level. Provincial forums, municipal associations, and inter‐municipal agreements are the policy venues studied in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile. Official documents reporting formal agreements in 2017–2021 help to capture the inter‐municipal governance network to which we apply exponential random graph models (ERGMs). The results show the positive effects of mandated provincial venues on inter‐municipal ties and the absence of the effect of self‐organized municipal associations, tendencies that prevail even when incorporating other relevant covariates into the models. These results nourish the EGF debate about interdependencies between coexisting policy venues, emphasizing the role of the different institutional attributes framing the policy venues and the effects of these differences on governance formation.

Estimación retrospectiva de los casos iniciales de COVID-19 en Santiago Región Metropolitana en Chile

ObjectiveEstimate daily infections of COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic in the Santiago Metropolitan Region (SRM) in Chile and Chile that are more realistic than those officially registered. MethodRetrospective estimate of daily infections from daily data on COVID-19 deaths, a seroprevalence study, and the REMEDID (Retrospective Methodology to Estimate Daily Infections from Deaths) algorithm. ResultsIn SRM, it is observed that: 1) the maximum peak of infections was more than double that registered in the official statistics; 2) such peak was reached on May 22 (95% CI: 20–24 May), 2022, that is, 24 days before the official date of the peak of infections; and 3) the first estimated contagion took place on January 28, 2020 (95% CI: January 21 to February 16), that is, 36 days before the official date. In Chile, the situation is similar. During the first wave SRM accounted for 70%–76% of those infected in Chile, while from August 2020 onwards it accounted for 36%–39%. ConclusionsThe official records of COVID-19 infections in SRM and Chile underestimated the real number of positives and showed a delay of about a month in the dynamics of infections. This is not an isolated situation, as it is known to have been the case in other countries as well. However, it is important to have reliable estimates for a correct modeling of the spread of the virus.

Configurations for Four Urban Tree Species in the Santiago Metropolitan Region and Their Impact on the Environment According to CO2, PM2.5, Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds and Water Resource Criteria

The rapid and disproportionate growth of many cities in South America, such as Santiago de Chile, has not included a design that considers the impact caused. Furthermore, industrial and housing growth has been based mainly on unsustainable economic criteria, attributing less importance to environmental criteria. This has caused problems related to global warming, pollution, water scarcity and health, especially harming populations with fewer resources. This study estimates and compares the impact of four tree species commonly used at the urbanization level, according to variables such as carbon dioxide (CO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), water resources, and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs). Then, we will use the variable PM2.5 to assess the trees’ impact on the population and their economic resources using these tree species as a method of capturing this pollutant. The results obtained will be used to determine which one of the four species is the most suitable in each type of space within the Metropolitan Region of Chile (small spaces, uncultivated areas, large spaces near industrial areas, areas with patients with breathing problems, etc.) according to three criteria: a comparison between species using the number of trees in the investigated territory; contrasting the species with the amount of social housing; and a comparison between the species according to the total number of dwellings.

Monkeypox Virus in Wastewater Samples from Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile.

Sewage surveillance provides useful epidemiologic and public health information on viral infections at the population level. We detected monkeypox virus DNA from sewage samples covering 85% of the population in Santiago Metropolitan Region Chile. We also isolated infective viruses from those samples. Wastewater surveillance could complement clinical surveillance for monkeypox virus.

Large highway tunnels under operating metro lines in the soils of Santiago – Design and Control approach

AbstractThe Américo Vespucio Oriente II Concession (AVOII), part of the Urban Transport System of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile, includes the closure of the 65 km Américo Vespucio Ring in highway standard. The project involves the construction of two mostly parallel urban soil tunnels 5.2 km in length and three lanes in each direction and it will run below the existing Américo Vespucio Avenue. At the same time, it goes below the underground Metro Line 4 currently in operation. Skava Consulting SpA was hired by Metro as an expert reviewer of underground and surface works. The objective is to ensure that the existing Metro structures will not be affected by the construction or the operation of AVOII. The work involved highly complex 3D models. In search of a more efficient way to review the design, it was agreed to do finite difference models in the critical areas of the project. A total of 32 proper models were created. All of them proved to be useful in validating and correcting findings or deviations in the original design. Considering the above, and that the project runs at depths of 40 m in average – which for Santiago soil is uncommonly deep – it faces the challenge of an extremely low tolerance for disturbances in the surrounding ground. For this reason, specific subway rail deformation criteria must be fulfilled, and the surface and subsurface deformations must be monitored very frequently during the construction of the tunnel, due to commence in 3Q 2023.

Facilitating Factors and Barriers to the Implementation of the Icelandic Prevention Model of Adolescent Substance Use in Chile: A Focus Group Study.

The use of alcohol and other drugs is a major public health problem in adolescence. The implementation of evidence-based prevention strategies is still scarce in the global south. This study aimed to evaluate facilitators and barriers to the implementation of the Icelandic prevention model of adolescent substance use (IPM) in Chile. We conducted a qualitative study of stakeholders during the implementation process of the IPM in six municipalities of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile. We convened six focus groups with parents and professionals from schools and municipal prevention teams (38 participants). Recordings were transcribed and submitted to a six-step thematic analysis. The following facilitators emerged: Participants valued the contribution of the IPM to articulate existing programs and teams, its community focus, and the local data obtained through the survey. There were also several barriers: Those included resistance to adopting a foreign model, the tension between generating local strategies and looking for measures to ensure the fidelity of the implementation, socioeconomic differences between and within municipalities, low-risk perception and supervision of parents in Chile, and a culture that generally does not discourage adolescent substance use. Implementation of the IPM was largely accepted by the stakeholders who agreed with the community approach of the model. The main barriers to consider were related to cultural and socioeconomic factors that need to be addressed in further research and may limit the effects of the model in Chile.

Social vulnerability and spatial inequality in access to healthcare facilities: The case of the Santiago Metropolitan Region (RMS), Chile

In Chile, the Metropolitan Region of Santiago (RMS) is exposed to several natural and anthropogenic hazards. This means that not only is there a constant need for healthcare, but also a significant increase whenever its inhabitants are affected by disasters. The RMS problem is not the lack of healthcare infrastructure; rather, the inequality in its spatial distribution, which does not consider the location of the most vulnerable population, who may have greater healthcare needs. In this paper, we have performed Pearson's correlation and multicollinearity analysis to select variables to include in the multiple regression analysis to identify the predictors of the number of healthcare facilities per commune in the RMS. Our research found that public healthcare facilities, average monthly income per person per commune, and population density predicts in a 74.1% the number of the total healthcare facilities per commune in the RMS. Network analysis allowed us to integrate distance-based and area-based approaches to spatially visualise the service area of the healthcare facilities in all the districts in the communes of the RMS according to three walking distances. Total coverage of service areas is observed only in 4% of the districts, while high and medium coverage is identified in 30%, low coverage is observed in 28% and 7% of districts are not covered at all. Those districts with low or non-coverage are mainly low-income and/or rural districts in the RMS communes.

Stochastic strong-ground motion simulation in the Santiago metropolitan region considering an Mw 7.8 intraplate intermediate-depth earthquake

Large intraplate intermediate-depth (IID) events are the most destructive to Chilean structures and they occurred throughout the country. Cities located above the hypocenters of these large earthquakes have been completely destroyed. In recent years, only small- and moderate-magnitude IID events have been reported below Santiago, the most populated Chilean city; however, the occurrence of large-magnitude IID events cannot be ruled out. In this study, we investigated the strong-ground motion generated by large-magnitude earthquakes occurring below the Santiago metropolitan region. We used a stochastic methodology to simulate synthetic records, considering IID events of magnitude Mw 7.8. To validate this method, we simulated intermediate-depth events of magnitudes Mw ∼5-6 that occurred near Santiago. We further calibrate our results by reproducing the strong-ground motion data recorded during the 2005 Tarapacá Mw 7.8 Northern Chile IID earthquake. We observe that in some areas of the Santiago Basin, high PGA values can reach values close to 1 g, in which, in addition to directivity effects and takeoff angles, the rupture distances (∼100 km) and soil type (C) play a key role in amplifying strong-ground motion. Finally, our findings highlight the importance of reproducing high-frequency time histories as a proxy to re-evaluate the seismic hazard due to large IID earthquakes.

Early screening of suspected microplastics in bottled water in the Santiago Metropolitan Region of Chile

Bottled water has emerged as a possible healthier alternative due to concerns about the quality of drinking water sources. However, recent studies have detected worrying concentrations of environmental contaminants in bottled water, including microplastics. Therefore, it is an emerging need to quantify their concentrations in local suppliers which could differ among countries and regions. In this work, we used fluorescence microscopy with Nile Red for the identification and quantification of potential microplastics in twelve brands of bottled water distributed in the Santiago Metropolitan Region of Chile. The average concentration of microplastics was 391 ± 125 p L−1, while the highest concentration observed was 633 ± 33 p L−1. Microplastics between 5 and 20 μm were the major contributors, a size fraction that has been reported to be susceptible to accumulate in the digestive tract or generate potential alterations in the lymphatic and circulatory systems. The estimated daily intake value for per capita was estimated to be 229 p kg−1 year−1 for people weighing 65 kg and 198 p kg−1 year−1 for those weighing 75 kg.

Crime as an excuse for not providing internet in specific neighbourhoods: a quantitative approach to broadband ‘Red Zones’ in Santiago de Chile

ABSTRACT While internet connectivity is a key promise of progress and the rule of law, criminal contestation of state control over territory is considered one of the main obstacles for development. This article provides the first known quantitative approach to the link between urban lawlessness and internet provision. Taking the Santiago Metropolitan Region (SMR) – the capital of Chile – as a case study, the authors discuss the origins of Red Zones (areas where telecommunication companies do not provide fixed broadband). A first hypothesis is based on the corporate excuse given by telcos for Red Zones: criminal activities – and not just socioeconomic discrimination – are a force majeure that impede internet connectivity in specific neighbourhoods. An alternative hypothesis acknowledges criminal governance in Latin American cities, admitting the possibility of criminal redistribution being favourable to internet connectivity where state control is contested. Employing a random effects regression model with panel data from 52 boroughs during the 2012–2020 period, the two hypotheses are tested. Contestation of the territorial control by the state is significantly and positively correlated to fixed broadband connectivity in the SMA. In contrast, lower connectivity is linked to higher presence of poor households, favouring a profit-based explanation for the Red Zones. The results hold when replacing the percentage of contested territory per borough with the murder rates. This research contributes to heterodox views within institutional economics and highlights the need of state-led redistribution in order to retake control of contested territories.

Assessing multiple dimensions of distributional justice: Access, biodiversity and landscape structure of green spaces for multiple social groups of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile

It is broadly recognized the value of green spaces to human well-being and health, hence several cities are taken actions for improving their existence in urban areas. However, it is also recognized that the distribution of those green spaces is not reaching all communities evenly. Several studies on distributional justice have assess. the disparities on the distribution of green spaces worldwide but they tend to focus on. the quantity or the accessibility from residences to green spaces. We proposed to. assess distributional justice as a multidimensional indicator that incorporates size, quantity, quality, access to biodiversity and distance traveled towards visiting a green. space to enrichen our evaluation of distributional justice and disclose disparities further. from green space availability. By using the Metropolitan Region of Santiago as a case. study we evaluated the distributional justice of green spaces by multiple social groups. based on a combination of surveyed, measured and collected spatially explicit data. Our results disclosed that low social status communities have access to green spaces. of smaller size, more dispersed, on lesser amounts and poorer on bird richness than. higher social status communities. Lower social status communities traveled more to. visit green spaces of higher quality and mostly move only one class up in the social. status. Our research showed larger complexities in distributional justice of green. spaces which should be evaluated and incorporated in decision making towards. greening.

Perfil e indicadores de los establecimientos de larga estancia para adulto mayor en Chile

Background and objectiveIn this article we sought to characterize the Long Stay Establishments for the Elderly in Chile, besides presenting the services offered in the public and private. Material and methodsIt is a quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study, with secondary information source. We analyze all establishments in the country registered with the National Service of the Elderly. As of November 2015, a total of 724 establishments were registered and distributed in 169 neighborhoods throughout the country in which 16,985 adults aged 60 and over were institutionalized. ResultsMost of the establishments (65.9% [n=246/724]) are private, 47.5% of them (n=344/724) are located in the metropolitan region of Santiago. Of the residents’ health, only 26.5% are considered functional brave, 28.3% are physically handicapped and 8.8% are mentally handicapped. Most establishments offer manual activities, physical exercises, memory classes, cultural classes and recreational or touristic tours. Proportionally of the activities offered were mostly private ones. ConclusionsIn Chile, most of the establishments are private, located in the metropolitan region where there is the largest supply deficit of this type of service, with an occupancy rate of 90.7%, with 72.4% women and almost half 47.7% with some physical or psychic dependence.

Circular Economy 4.0 Evaluation Model for Urban Road Infrastructure Projects, CIROAD

This paper provides a multicriteria evaluation model, based on the AHP methodology for the evaluation of the Circular Economy 4.0’s, which develops the metric called “Circularity indicator for urban road projects (CIROAD)”. The main contribution of this work is to provide a measurement scale specifically designed for urban road infrastructure projects. It is a useful tool to assess the degree of implementation of the principles of the Circular Economy (CE) and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (I4.0) in an integrated manner in these types of projects, generating valuable information for all stakeholders and contributing to the objective of accelerating the transition towards a Circular Economy 4.0 model in the construction industry. The model is defined with twenty-five sub-criteria and seven general criteria, which are: (1) Circular Materials; (2) Circular Design Approaches; (3) Circular Construction Approaches; (4) Circular Operation Approaches; (5) Approaches to Deconstruction and Resource Recovery; (6) Social Value Creation; and (7) Economic Performance. The developed CIROAD model was applied to three projects in the urban transport area of the Chilean Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (MINVU/SERVIU) in the Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM). In these three projects, low performance was observed in terms of CIROAD scores (between 21% and 28% of a maximum of 100%); that is, there is a significant opportunity for improvement by incorporating more circular practices in the development of projects by the studied organization. To accelerate the transition to a circular economy model in the development of its projects, it is proposed that the organization prioritize improving the following circular practices (in order of importance): (1) the design of pavements with environmental criteria; (2) preserving value; (3) conducting cost–benefit analysis (CBA) of waste management; (4) environmental declaration of materials (EPD); (5) the used of recycled materials; and (6) BIM-based design. Finally, the suggestion for the organization in charge of these projects is to use the developed CIROAD model as a tool to support decision making regarding the prioritization of its project portfolio. That is, the organization should use CIROAD to generate a ranking score for each project and allocate resources for investment in the initiatives that show the best circularity performances, as estimated by CIROAD.

Resilience and economic structure: The case of the Chilean regions during the Asian crises and the Great Recession of 2008

AbstractThis paper analyses the effects of the sectoral structure on the economic resilience of Chilean regions during the shocks of the 1998 Asian and 2008 financial crises by employing cycle dissection, phase‐differentiated spatially extended shift‐share analysis, and regional analysis indices. Regions with more diversified structures exhibited better performance during the crises. Certain service sectors moderated the impacts of the crises in the resistance phases, and in turn, were drivers during the recovery phases. Remarkably, agriculture slowed the recovery of the southern regions. Some of these results were induced by the high demographic and economic concentration in the metropolitan region of Santiago.

Desastres y vulnerabilidad social: el caso de la sequía en la comuna de tiltil, provincia de Chacabuco, Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Chile

The Problem: In northern Tiltil county, at Metropolitan Region of Santiago, there is a drought of more 10 years ago, affecting the quality of life of its population. In this research the social vulnerability index is applied-SoVI of Cutter (2003), that evaluate the behavior of an affected population by environmental risks. Methodology: it is a multiplicative index between weigths (wi) and social variables (vi) of the model whose ranking value is between 1 and 5. The 75% percent of variables make up the population level of education, psychological stress to wich they are subjected, goverment support and cultural practices of those affected. Results: The stratum most affected by the drought were small farmers with an index value of 4.13 points, classified as very high vulnerability; then, the medium-sized owners with a value of 3.71 or high vulnerability and the large farmers with 2.46 classified as moderate. A separate case is the beneficiaries of water - cistern with a moderate index of 2.43. Conclusions:  there are other variables not considered in this study that affect the problem of drought, such as the financial, environmental, cultural and human capital of the population of Tiltil.

Impact of Confinement on the Reduction of Pollution and Particulate Matter Concentrations. Reflections for Public Transport Policies

Different initiatives have been implemented to improve air quality in large cities, such as encouraging travel by sustainable modes of transport, promoting electro-mobility, or the car-free day. However, to date, we have not found statistics that indicate to what extent the concentration levels of particulate matter PM2.5, PM10 and nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollutants decrease as a result of public policy. We used official data from the Chilean Government’s national air quality information system (SINCA) for the Santiago metropolitan region and estimated the impact of the confinement by COVID-19 on the ambient concentration average values of NOx gases and particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, which are the main air pollutants produced by the transport sector after CO2. We found that in general there are significant differences between the average levels of gas emissions for 2020 compared to 2019. In particular, we found that, for the months of total confinement May-July, the monthly average levels decreased between 7% and 19% for particulate matter PM2.5, between 18% and 50% for PM10 and between 34% and 48% for NOx. With the return to the new normality, these improvements in ambient concentration levels may be affected by the increase in private transport trips, due to the reluctance of citizens to return to mass public transport. Our results, therefore, represent the maximum impact that can be expected in reducing ambient concentration levels in the city of Santiago of Chile when a mobility reduction of gasoline vehicles is implemented. The reduction of PM2.5, PM10 and NOx was no more than 7%, 18% and 34%, respectively. The average concentration of PM2.5 decreased by 7–19% compared to previous years. The average concentration of PM10 decreased by 18% and 50% compared to previous years. Concentrating commuting on public transport would help reduce levels of PM10 and PM2.5.

The prevalence of a bonding strategy in COVID-19 response networks: explaining intermunicipal partnering in the Santiago metropolitan region, Chile

ABSTRACT COVID-19, with its spatial particularities, has challenged the governance of institutionally fragmented regions, obliging local governments to respond collaboratively. While intermunicipal collaboration is expected, little is known about partnering strategies. Based on the institutional collective action framework, this article explains which partnering strategies (bonding or bridging) have prevailed in the city of Santiago. Using exponential random graph models, it reveals a tendency to transitive clustering, socio-territorial homophily and the importance of planned emergency intermunicipal networks. The findings demonstrate the prevalence of bonding and an absence of bridging, measured by both endogenous and exogenous factors, with implications for effective regional response.