Informal Settlements in Areas of Natural Value: The Case of Laguna de Los Cisnes, Commune of Porvenir, Magellan and Chilean Antarctica Region

Abstract

Urban expansions into periurban spaces and areas of high natural value have drawn the attention of academic research and public policy due to social, economic, and environmental impacts. A relevant case is the municipality of Porvenir, Province of Tierra del Fuego, Magellan and Chilean Antarctic Region, since its most recent urban expansion has taken place in close proximity to the Laguna de Los Cisnes Natural Monument. Through a mixed-methods research approach, combining descriptive spatial analysis and interviews with residents, this study examines the city’s expansion, residents’ motivations to relocate to these areas, and expert perceptions regarding Porvenir’s expansion process. The findings suggest that Porvenir’s periurban expansion is a highly sensitive territorial transformation process, leading to new infrastructure demands and the decline of an equally sensitive ecosystem. Experts warn that the absence of appropriate planning instruments and limited regulatory oversight give way to peri-urbanization processes in cities with significant natural attributes, negatively impacting biodiversity and fostering unsustainable urban development in areas with high economic and strategic value for the country.