Neoliberal Lakeside Residentialism: Real Estate Development and the Sustainable Utopia in Environmentally Fragile Areas

Rodrigo Hidalgo (), María Sarella Robles and Voltaire Alvarado
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Rodrigo Hidalgo: Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul 7820436, Chile
María Sarella Robles: Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Macul 7820436, Chile
Voltaire Alvarado: Departamento de Geografía, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386, Chile

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: This article exposes the central role played by neoliberal real estate development in the transformation of two lakeside cities in southern Chile. The concept of neoliberal lakeside residentialism addresses the ways in which commercialisation of the natural world in tourism hotspots is comprehensively reshaping the environmentally fragile Andean lake district. Specifically, we hypothesise that this green utopia is rapidly becoming a dystopia as a result of the aggregate effects of real estate development on environmental sustainability. In order to analyse these tensions, we conduct a case study in the districts of Villarrica and Pucón, both located within the Lake Villarrica watershed. There is evidence of territorial metamorphosis of the Araucanía Region as areas popular with tourists are increasingly being closed off by large-scale real estate operations. We find that this “anomalous” rate of urbanisation is indeed affecting sustainability in the territory, both environmental and social, concluding that regulation of these processes is needed in order to preserve both the natural and cultural wealth of the study area.

Keywords: sustainability; neoliberalism; Chile; Villarrica and Pucón; real estate operations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:11:y:2022:i:8:p:1309-:d:887766

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