Same struggle, different goals: territorial strategies for the right to the city in two encampments in Temuco, Chile

Abstract

The housing encampments in Chile represent urban marginalization in the country. Due to the limited housing options the State provides, these settlements have historically developed forms of organization and struggle in search of their right to the city. Essentially, these actions focus on self-management to obtain a place to live. However, despite sharing similar needs, these groups show diverse forms of struggle. In the current context, with a growing demand for housing in the country, various strategies these groups adopt to integrate into the city can be observed. This article focuses on analyzing the occupation and spatial governance strategies implemented in two encampments located in the city of Temuco, Chile: Los Pinos and Los Ripieros, through a qualitative approach based on the application of a social mapping to the leaders of both settlements and the exploration of narratives related to past and future spatial governance. Differences were identified between these two encampments. Although they share a contiguous physical location and emerged at the same time, the results reveal that, despite initial similarities in urban development, there are differences in the motivations guiding their future actions. While Los Ripieros actively seeks to influence obtaining a permanent housing solution in other sectors of the city, Los Pinos chooses to get involved within the framework of existing urban regulations to secure a housing solution in the same place. These findings enrich the discussion on urban marginality by showing that the struggles for space of excluded groups are centered on the balance between rootedness and obtaining housing. The latter is vital for the state to consider when designing urban policies.