I Thought I Saw a Nice Suburb. The Subsidiary Initiative for Well-being in Coronel, Chile

Abstract

The actions of the Chilean State in the conformation of suburbs through housing policies are analyzed, taking the Escuadrón sector of the city of Coronel as a case study. The state’s promise of well-being through access to housing influences the production and perception of these suburban spaces. Visions of the suburb, state housing action and the notion of residential well-being are discussed. From the field work, in addition to the processing of satellite images to identify land uses, an assemblage between the new subsidized complexes, forest plantations and bodies of water that configures a “beautiful suburb” linked to ideals of well-being is confirmed. This representation is stressed by highlighting the natural risks in its environment. In short, the public entity plays a central role in the production of suburbs in housing policies, thus transforming the perception of well-being of its residents.