Between the Social and the Built Environments: Understanding Walking in Deprived Neighborhoods of Santiago

A significant number of works have sought to identify the social and physical attributes that may encourage walking. However, little is known about how such attributes influence those who walk in socio-economically deprived neighborhoods. The article explores how the social sphere and the built environment influence walking in deprived neighborhoods. To do so, it reports the findings of a qualitative research carried out in four neighborhoods of Santiago de Chile that are experiencing a sharp decline in their socio-spatial structures. The findings indicate that aspects of the social sphere (social networks, ties) influence people’s perception of insecurity, their willingness to complete trips with social purposes, the extension of the territories considered “walkable”, and the feeling of loneliness that accompanies many of the walks that take place in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The attributes of the built environment mirror the social sphere, influence the experience of walking, are cues for risks that shape people’s behavior, and collaborate in the delineation of what is considered “normal.” The analysis showed that walking is at risk in Santiago’s deprived neighborhoods; a complex activity that should be protected by means of multidimensional strategies that simultaneously address the social sphere and the built environment.