What can Santiago’s MUT teach us about urban design?
By Tengri Genc, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
With just a month to go before completing my semester abroad in Santiago, Chile, I thought I’d take the time to see those parts of the city further afield than my accommodation and its surrounding area. One area I’d briefly visited before was Tobalaba, famous for being the home of Gran Torre Costanera, the tallest building in South America. However, whilst this behemoth stands as the focal point of Santiago, just a short walk away lies another much more revolutionary development which I believe is worthy of some praise.
Mercado Urbano Tobalaba (or MUT) is Chile’s first urban market. Situated just opposite the Tobalaba metro station, the mixed-use project provides a series of shops, restaurants, bars, libraries, markets and live-music spaces – all integrated into a walkable mini-town with more greenery than I’ve seen anywhere else in the city. The complex gets so much right when it comes to modern, sustainable design – so much that I often feel urban developments in the UK get wrong.
As a keen environmentalist, I must first praise the MUT for its function as a green space in an otherwise wholly concrete area of the city. Something I had to get used to when starting my placement was the air pollution in Santiago. In my first few weeks here, I found myself constantly with dry eyes and lips and sneezing all the time. Thankfully, the pollution somewhat clears up in the spring and summer months which have made up the bulk of my time in Santiago. Still, Santiago’s air pollution remains a problem which could definitely be helped by the integration of plant-life within each of the city’s developments instead of concrete jungle broken up by the occasional small park.
Another thing I appreciate about the MUT is that the greenery on show is, well, not just for show. The complex’s tallest trees are strategically positioned over outdoor seating areas to provide shade from the often far too hot Chilean sun. Smaller bushes help to divide spaces and guide foot-traffic around the area without making you feel constricted. All of the greenery within the space is both pretty and purposeful and, frankly, it puts to shame the likes of Piccadilly Gardens which I hear is set to be redeveloped yet again next year. Hopefully Manchester City Council will take on board some of the lessons taught by developments like the MUT and create a space that is both green and functional – looking at you, Andy Burnham.
We live in an age where being economical with land is so important. Populations in cities are rapidly growing and if we want to avoid destroying the natural landscape surrounding our urban areas, we need to think about creating compact, mixed-use developments which, in turn, create cleaner, more efficient cities. I believe the MUT is one of those rare projects that showcase how a city of the future should look and I recommend anyone – especially those with an interest in planning, sustainability or architecture – visit it during their time in Santiago.
