Essays on political economy and territorial disparities in Chile

Abstract

This Thesis focuses on two elements associated with political economy that affect territorial inequalities. The first is the relationship between urban form and the uneven distribution of urban infrastructure, that is, how spatial organization influences the allocation of collective resources and hence, the opportunities that people have. The second major element of political economy that is analyzed is the incidence of distributive politics in inequality. The alleged aim of territorial development policies is to pursue economic efficiency or spatial equity. In Latin America in particular, regional policy has been largely dedicated to narrowing the gap across areas. However, all too often, these programs do not reach the most disadvantaged, not due to an inefficient design, but because of an institutional framework that generates misaligned political incentives and weak governance. In other words, the distribution of basic infrastructure is not only based on a decision driven by technical issues, but also by authorities¿ electoral wishes.All these issues are addressed throughout four articles, which have already been published in prestigious international journals. The first is ¿Urban form and environmental impact of commuting in a segregated city, Santiago de Chile¿, published in 2013, in Environment and Planning B. The second article is ¿Understanding Density in an Uneven City, Santiago, Chile: Implications for Social and Environmental Sustainability¿, published in 2014 in Sustainability. The third article is ¿Distributive politics and spatial equity: the allocation of public investment in Chile¿, published in 2018 in the Regional Studies. Finally, ¿Paving the electoral way: Urban infrastructure, partisan politics and civic engagement¿, was published in 2019 in World Development.