Abstract

Cities demand two-thirds of the total energy production worldwide. This figure will increase in the future due to rapid population growth taking place in urban áreas. Meanwhile, cities account for 70% of global CO2 emissions with the environmental, social and economic consequences this entails. Solar Cities is a concept that represents an option to decarbonize the energy matrix of cities by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. Three dimensions were considered as fundamental for the formulation of a solar city: technological aspects, governance; community engagement and sustainable urban planning. This article focused on urban planning and developed three areas of relevance: renewable energy matrix, urban morphology, structure and form, and urban mobility. Defining the urban planning dimension and its three areas, this theory was applied to the reality of the city of Diego de Almagro, Chañaral province, Atacama region, Chile. The high solar radiation of this city, added to its strategic location gives Diego de Almagro enough qualities to become the first solar city in Chile.