Implementation and impact of the 1906 WorkersÍ€™ Housing Law: ValparaisoÍ€™s (Chile) case

Abstract

The issue of workersÍ€™ housing affected most big cities in the world, chiefly at the end of the XIX century. Chile was one of the pioneer countries in enacting a law system built to confront the core of the problem. The 1906 WorkersÍ€™ Housing Law dealt with a new situation Í€“ the growing needs of blue-collar workers regarding housing Í€“ trying to implement solutions to an ever more pressing problem, although it did not affect all of society in a similar way. In the case of Valparaíso, its particular geographical location, limited possibilities of spatial development and a context of material and social needs prevented this Law to achieve its expected results. This paper analyses the LawÍ€™s impact on some of ValparaísoÍ€™s territorial and urban aspects, leading to the configuration of a hybrid and exclusive urban model which has so far survived.