Power Relations in Urban Decision-making: Neo-liberalism, 'Techno-politicians' and Authoritarian Redevelopment in Santiago, Chile

Abstract

Taking as a subject of study an on-going urban development project in Santiago, Chile, the paper interprets how public and private actors came together in an urban decision-making episode which represented a particular power configuration. To consider both the structural forms of constraint and the differential capacity of actors to exert power, an analytical framework is constructed, derived from Giddens' structuration theory and from Foucault's approach to power. The analysis of the specific relationships established between the project's participants shows how individuals from the central state apparatus and private investors were controlling local redevelopment, relegating the local government (the municipality) and the people living near the project to non-influential positions. The concluding section considers the potentials and limitations of the analytical framework deployed and the degree to which its outcome could be generalised to the Chilean situation.

The Spatial‐Political Outcome of Urban Development Conflicts: Emancipatory Dynamics of Protests against Gentrification in Peñalolén, Santiago de Chile

“…Swyngedouw, ). In the context of Pinochet's military dictatorship (1973–1989), a consensus‐oriented model of governing was established, forced by political and economic elite networks and a technocratic political guiding principle (Zunino, ). At the time, Chile became a neoliberal laboratory characterized by thorough processes of liberalization and privatization of urban development.…”

Rights, Knowledge, and Governance for Improved Health Equity in Urban Settings

“…This UK study concluded that although the notion of partnerships creates a vision of public policy in which everyone seems to benefit by emphasizing efficiency, devolution, and participation, the reality is different: partnerships failed to be inclusive of representative interests; they have reinforced the influence of the central government and facilitated the participation of the private sector in the delivery of public services. The differential capacity of actors to exert power in urban renewal and decision-making has been studied in the context of Santiago, Chile 49. In this situation, it was found that representatives from the central government and private investors controlled local redevelopment, while the local government and the people living near the urban renewal project ended up in non-influential positions.…”

Vivienda social y segregación espacial en la Ciudad de Pucón, Chile: entre el enclaustramiento y la integración con el hábitat turístico

“…El método de organización seguido actualmente es la realización de asambleas comunales en las cuales la directiva asume un rol de coordinación, información y canalización de las propuestas surgidas de la asamblea, a su vez que la asamblea tiene la facultad para aprobar o desaprobar las propuestas originadas desde la directiva. Las asambleas se realizan con una frecuencia de 3 17 Ver Zunino, 2006;Zunino e Hidalgo, 2009. in the words of Putnam (1983) En tercer lugar, y concordante con nuestra primera inferencia, los dirigentes vecinales destacan lo positivo que resulta residir en una ciudad-balneario y que los atributos funcionales de la ciudad tienden a aminorar las carencias materiales o los problemas que discutiremos en la siguiente sub-sección. Se colige que los pobladores no se sienten atrapados en un gueto, sino se consideran parte integrante de la ciudad de Pucón.…”