15-minute city, proximity, and urban segregation in Latin-American cities: The case of Santiago de Chile

The 15-minute city concept aims to address some of the most pressing modern urban challenges, such as transport sustainability, territorial inequality, and social segregation. Despite the acknowledged environmental, social, and economic benefits of the 15-minute city, particularly for local sustainable development, some of its methodological and conceptual aspects have been subject to scholarly scrutiny. One of these key issues is the unclear interaction between 15-minute city planning principles and existing urban segregation. This is a particularly pertinent concern in cities with stark socioeconomic divides, like many in Latin America. To explore this topic, the main goal of this paper is to examine how walkable access to essential facilities and services varies according to the socioeconomic conditions of different areas in Santiago de Chile, one of the most segregated urban environments in Latin America. We use georeferenced data at the urban block level to assess the proximity to various services and facilities, including green spaces, healthcare centers, educational institutions, cultural establishments, and commercial areas. Our analysis reveals distinct spatial distribution patterns of urban amenities in the metropolitan area. Specifically, public services and cultural institutions are concentrated in the city center, while sports facilities are found predominantly in the urban periphery, and educational establishments are more evenly distributed across the city. Interestingly, residents of middle-low and middle class areas enjoy a higher variety of proximity to urban amenities than those living in affluent and poor areas. This is, among other factors, a consequence of real estate and urban planning deregulation and long-lasting self-segregation trends of the affluent urban population. These findings underscore the potential and challenges of implementing the 15-minute city concept to create more inclusive and integrated urban spaces in Latin American cities.