Las Salinas represents a bold new approach to planning and design in Chile, where the transformation of a brownfield site becomes the catalyst for the urban and ecological regeneration of Viña del Mar.
Introduction
Originally planned as the extension of the 19th century Valparaiso metropolis, the tree-lined boulevards and formal parks of Viña gave rise to its fame as the Garden City of Chile. Yet, in recent decades the city has struggled to maintain the quality of life it once nurtured. The lack of attention to the city’s ecological infrastructure has led to a decline of its urban forest canopy and degradation of the native habitat on hillsides and ravines. Poor planning practices have created a car-dominated culture that has degraded the quality of the public realm, while single-use and inward-focused developments have impacted the vitality of neighborhoods.
Las Salinas brownfield transformation master plan
Reason to Be Selected
Las Salinas represents a bold new approach to planning and design in Chile, where the transformation of a brownfield site becomes the catalyst for the urban and ecological regeneration of Viña del Mar.
Highlights:
City and nature connect again
Concept of sustainable development
Strengthening landscape infrastructure and ecosystem facilities
Create a low energy consumption city
Attention to the diversity of ecological activities
Details
Concept of sustainable development: Envisioned as a mixed-use, porous and sustainable neighborhood, compact city blocks with a fully accessible and vibrant public realm will reduce the city’s reliance on private transportation. Civic, cultural, residential, retail, office and educational uses underpin a holistic community. At the ground-level, a wide range of active uses provide a rich urban and pedestrian experience.
Strengthening landscape infrastructure and ecosystem facilities: Looking to nature for inspiration and a sustainable vision for the future, in depth research of the Chilean coastal landscape informed the regenerative approach to the site’s landscape infrastructure and essential ecosystem services. This multi-layered approach to form and function supports the overall connectivity and resilience of site systems which in turn regulate stormwater, nutrients, carbon, microclimate, pollination and species dispersal.
Create a low energy consumption city: The plan emphasizes energy reduction strategies and water sensitive design to create a low energy consumption city.
Attention to the diversity of ecological activities: enhanced the hillside landscape and leveraged the built environment as a rich zone of ecological activity. Shifting away from the typically limited selection of species used in urban landscapes, Las Salinas will incorporate a native, diverse and structurally complex planting palette that carefully responds to the microclimate and habitats created by the proposed development.
Conclusions
The project’s ambition was to rethink development practices in the city and to reveal the true potential of Las Salinas to redefine Viña’s trajectory. Transcending the physical boundaries of the site, this vision seeks to restore the local ecology and re-engage the community to its seafront and public spaces. Through the collective efforts of the community, client, and design team, the framework represents a shared vision to regenerate the vitality of the city.
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