Abstract

This paper aims to highlight the urban phenomenon of illegal occupation of land in the ravines of Valparaíso, Chile, being this action an appropriation method common to these areas of the city. The concept of informal city is revised for the purpose of categorizing the illegal occupation of land within the group of Latin American informal dwellings. Likewise, this paper offers the findings from interviews to the dwellers of these settlements and reveals the main reasons that led to such occupations: successive earthquakes and family mobility. Lastly, this contribution develops the concept of "Family Residential Complexes" (FRC), which is the particular name given to the occupation or invasion of land in Valparaíso ravines. This appropriation method is carried out by family groups and represents evolutionary socio-spatial processes that influence the consolidation of these urban spaces.