Abstract

This article explores the relationship between urban law and processes of social exclusion, through the analysis of three recent urban conflicts occurred because of the attempt to construct low-income housing units in high and middle-income districts in Santiago, Chile. The cases described show some aspects of the practice of urban law that constitute strong obstacles for the promotion of low-income housing in well-located neighborhoods. The article suggests that Chile’s urban law does not have sufficient tools to counteract processes of urban social exclusion in favor of the public interest represented by the generation low-income housing adequately integrated in the city.