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Department of Spatial Planning

Trends and evolution of automobile ownership in the municipalities of Chile

A figure from a paper co-authored by Víctor Cobs-Munoz © Maturana, Morales, Cobs-Muñoz, and Maldonado (2021)

A new article has been published with the participation of Víctor Cobs-Muñoz and in collaboration with peers from Chile's Alberto Hurtado and Austral de Chile Universities, and Spain's Zaragoza University. The article, titled "Trends and evolution of automobile ownership in the municipalities of Chile" analyses the explosive increase in the number of motorised vehicles in the municipalities of Chile as well as a disaggregated analysis of the Metropolitan Area of Santiago. Through statistical data of the last 20 years, the analysis evidenced an explosive but differentiated increase of the automotive fleet. Results show the poorest municipalities with a lower dynamism, while those of the more affluent sectors experience exuberant increases. Particularly in the Metropolitan Area of Santiago, the results follow the same pattern, dynamics that jeopardise the planning and sustainability of national urban areas. An interesting reflection in this paper is focussed on the type of city that is being planned and built throughout the country and the urgency of a strategic public policy in urban public transport.

Read the full paper published in urbe. Revista Brasileira de Gestão Urbana:

Maturana, F., Morales, M., Cobs-Muñoz, V., and Maldonado, J. (2021). Trends and evolution of automobile ownership in the municipalities of Chile. urbe. Revista Brasileira de Gestão Urbana, 13, e20210074. DOI: 10.1590/2175-3369.013.e20210074