Ecosystem Services: The other Heritage of Modern Housing Complexes. The case of Ñuñoa (Santiago, Chile)

Abstract

Large green areas are integral to the heritage of numerous modern architectural housing complexes. In Santiago de Chile, a stroll through some of the former Corporación de la Vivienda (CORVI) housing complexes reveals extensive vegetation on vast expanses of permeable soil, capable of absorbing water. These green areas are prominently situated adjacent to the isolated blocks and along the surrounding avenues. In the context of climate change, these spatial attributes hold a special instrumental value for the natural sciences. From the perspective of Ecosystem Services and regulation, it is possible to identify and measure how these attributes contribute to mitigating maximum temperatures.  

This article aims to demonstrate how the urban structure and the types of vegetation influenced by it affect the reduction in surface temperature within a collection of 9 housing estates built between 1945 and 1970 in the Ñuñoa district (Santiago, Chile). The research performs a cross-reading between Nolli planes, satellite images, and two remote sensing tools: the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Land Surface Temperature Index (LST).  

The findings suggest that the block grouping system adjacent to parks has the potential to lower maximum temperatures due to a lower ratio of soil sealed by concrete compared to a higher ratio of permeable soil surrounding the housing blocks.