Abstract

In this paper, we present an exploratory case study of a residential boom between 2020 and 2022 in the Llanquihue Province, located in Northern Patagonia. From it, we analyze how neoliberalization has shifted its focus to land and nature, reframing and using neoliberal legal frameworks to justify and validate new forms of ecoextractivism in areas of high environmental value. The main question of the research is: How are neoliberalism and emergent neoliberal natures in Patagonia reframing the ways in which residential development is carried out on agrarian land? The results are based on semi-structured interviews with landowners, their heirs, real estate agents, and managers of private parks. Also, complemented by statistical reports on land use change, rural poverty, and demographics. As a result, we propose the term "green residential development" to describe a complex process of neoliberal conservation of nature that combines the Patagonian imaginary, green capitalism, and changes in socioeconomic and demographic trends to foster residential development. We conclude that green residential development is a sign of the increasing complexity and refinement of capitalism to validate the extraction of capital on a global scale.