Industrial Activity and Housing Solutions in the “Paper City” of Puente Alto, Santiago de Chile (1920-1950)

Abstract

During the period between 1920 and 1950, key events took place that shaped the industrial development of the municipality of Puente Alto, such as the arrival of the Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones, the construction of housing projects for workers, the implementation of sewage systems, street lighting, and street paving. This article analyzes how industrial activity and housing solutions drove the urbanization of the study area, as well as the contradictions that arose in the process. The methodology employed was qualitative, based on urban history and historical geography approaches. The study was supported by historical documents from the main industries of the municipality, information from the local government, and reviews of the local press. The results highlight a spatiality in which industry, local government, and urban dwellers interact. Model towns were built to maintain a captive labor force, solutions derived from the institutional framework in force during that period, and tensions arose due to the precariousness of certain housing complexes. The territorial framework is complex, influenced by the hegemonic action of industry and the emerging social contradictions.