Resisting redevelopment: protest in aspiring global cities

In: Cambridge studies in contentious politics

Abstract

"In 2006, a group of residents in Yungay, a working-class neighborhood of lowrises in the center of Santiago, attended a public hearing organized by city officials. The neighbors had expected a perfunctory event, and attended somewhat by chance. Instead, to their surprise, officials informed participants of a plan to change zoning laws that would have dramatically augmented the construction of high-rises in their neighborhood. Residents knew that the threat was real. They had already observed waves of high-rises being built throughout the city, as the mayor pursued flagship projects and infrastructure modernization to position Santiago as a competitive center for international investment. This was taking place in the heart of a country considered the historical hotbed of neoliberalism: unions were weak, and the fiscal, planning, and taxation environment had traditionally and strongly favored developers"--