Understanding the Urban Sprawl in the Mid-Size Latin American Cities through the Urban Form: Analysis of the Concepción Metropolitan Area (Chile)

Abstract

Latin American\rcities, like those from North America and Europe,\rexperience problems of urban sprawl. However, few studies have dedicated exclusively\rto this phenomenon in specific cities, and this omission is particularly noticeable\rregarding cities not considered among the megalopolis of the continent. The present\rwork analyzes urban sprawl through an urban form in the Concepción Metropolitan\rArea, Chile,\rbetween 1990 and 2009, considering local aspects that may have played a role in\rthe process. The main empirical results obtained from this study reveal a metropolitan\rarea that has expanded intensely over a 20-year period, growing from 9000 hectares\rto more than 17,000 ha for\ra 96% increment in the built-up area. The new urban surfaces consolidate a central\rconurbation that strengthens the role of the main downtowns, with less-intense occupation\rtowards the sub-centers but in a structure that follows the transportation infrastructure.\rOver the last 20 years, the distance between the shapes has grown progressively\rby around 2 km, increasing\rthe size of the ellipse by more than 1000 km2. In particular the complexity of the\rurbanized surfaces has grown, becoming\rmore irregular in shape and less compact as they come to occupy larger areas. So\rour principal findings include: an increment of nearly 100% in the urban surface,\rthe importance of a polycentric urban structure in the process of consolidation\ras a support for analyzing different spatial dynamics, and the growing morphological\rirregularity of the territory of the sprawl.