Abstract

Like most South American cities, Santiago de Chile was founded following the Laws of Indies. Its grid system was laid out on a fertile segment of the Maipo valley, at the foot of an isolated hill between the Mapocho River and one of its branches. There are controversies regarding whether the definition of its main features were defined by its Spaniard founders, or rather inspired by an existing Inca settlement [1]. Nevertheless, the tracing of the grid and the argued adaptation of the former settlement, in relation to some landscape elements such as the riverbank and an isolated rocky peak (Santa Lucía’s hill), gave place to the first intent of urban planning which has certainly influenced much of what has happened afterward. In what follows, the history of urban planning in Santiago is revisited under the scope of ecological planning. This scope claims to integrate biophysical and sociocultural information to plan not only the land uses, but also to facilitate mutual interactions between human activities and the natural environment, by valuing the natural processes and structures of landscapes and ecosystems. Such endeavor aims to determine how far ecological criteria has influenced the way in which the city has been regulated and therefore, developed. There are at least four goals that structure this analysis. Firstly, the need to visualize the sequence of planning instruments designed and executed in Santiago. Secondly, to classify several historical events under concepts that define the nature of each event. Thirdly, to define and characterize historical periods in Santiago’s urban development based on environmental awareness. And lastly, to determine Santiago’s current planning status regarding the inclusion of ecological and environmental criteria by describing a set of achievements, challenges, and opportunities for the implementation of future instruments and policies.