Estaciones como nodos y lugares: el potencial del tren para el desarrollo urbano orientado al transporte en Santiago, Chile

Abstract

In Latin American cities, the train has played a less relevant role in recent decades as a structuring element of urban development. As with other means of mass transportation, railroads can be the object of strategies that foster the integration of public transport and land use, to guide urban development towards more sustainable futures. Considering that in Chile suburban rail services are gradually being reactivated around the main cities, it is worth asking whether rail transport can contribute to forms of transport-oriented urban development in the Chilean context as well. In this way, this article actually explores the urban role of train stations and their potential as options of transit-oriented development. Focusing on the case of Santiago, the article analyzes train stations by applying the node-place model, which examines each of them based on their role as a node (i.e., how many destinations they allow reaching) and as a place (considering the diversity and intensity of activities that take place in their vicinity). The results show the limited urban role that railway stations play in the context of Chilean capital, highlighting a certain homogeneity with respect to the levels of accessibility or the appeal of the urban environments of each station. The application of the node-place model shows that the train has an untapped potential for the urban development of the places it crosses throughout Santiago, and confirms the potential role of stations as small polarities at the neighborhood and municipal scale.

Spatial Coverage Analysis of Bus Stop Set and Its Relationship to the Surrounding Land Uses. Case Study, Manizales, Colombia

“…However, this methodology rarely considers important aspects such as the safety of the area where the stop is proposed, the surrounding slope, the vehicular flow and, most importantly, the land use on which it will operate. And it is that the conception of land use as a primary element of the "new urbanism", developed for decades (Newman and Kenworthy, 1996), has a direct relationship with transport systems, considering that the current conception is the urban development oriented to transport (Segura and Jiménez, 2019), in which the development poles (activities -land uses) and the existing infrastructure for the interaction of these activities are determined, ensuring more efficient use of land allowing the functions that generate more trips to be concentrated in the proximity of public transport and thus minimizing dependence on private vehicles (Vecchio, 2021). In this vein, assessing the relationship between land use and bus stop coverage ensures a better perception of the best location of bus stops and improves access conditions for users.…”

Analyzing Escalator Infrastructures: A Pilot Study in Santiago Metro

“…The Santiago Metro is an underground transportation system that connects 32 boroughs in Santiago, Chile, with a total of 7 operational lines and 136 stations distributed across its different lines and a total length of approximately 140 km, which in 2019 transported a maximum of 695 million passengers [1]. The Santiago Metro has been recognized as one of the most modern and efficient underground transportation systems in Latin America, standing out for its punctuality, safety, and comfort for passengers [2]. The continuous expansion of the network, with the implementation of new lines, has allowed for an expansion of services, offering access to a greater number of users.…”