Digging for synergy : Planning and Reclaimed landscape in semi-desert areas: Atacama study case

Mining has an active and often dominant role in national economies and localized urban infrastructure. Yet, at the same time, it is usually seen as a damaging factor with regards to water, soil and waste administration when viewed through the lens of urbanism and planning. In current international mining management practices, the development of reclaimed landscapes could reduce or counterbalance mining impacts towards human settlements and environment and biodiversity recovery. Development in close proximity to mining waste (tailings) is considered hazardous for both the environment and urban development. At the same time, water management practices remain as the key element of dispute between miners, farmers and citizens. The lack of alternative solutions for water scarcity, flooding and pollution, reveals a disjunction between urban planning, natural resource management and resource extraction. The recent development of “ecological urbanism” draws from ecology to inspire an urbanism that is more socially inclusive and sensitive to the environment having a more holistic approach for design and management of cities. Following such ecological urbanism concepts, most mining cities like Copiapo in the Atacama region in Chile, could move towards a more sustainable landscape and natural resource management, helping to address problems of water scarcity, urban flooding and mining waste. At present, physical of mining infrastructure fails to adapt to higher rates of extraction and consequent increased water demands. There is an irrational use of the resources and obvious confrontation of stakeholders, legal frameworks and relevant actors. A hypothesis focuses on the possibility of the repositioning of the “problems” of water scarcity, urban flooding and mining waste to become a catalyst for both urban and landscape regeneration. The research seeks to contribute to adapting various regulations within the mining, environmental protection and urbanism through the design research embedded in and global innovations in mining, urbanism, agriculture, water management and infrastructure development. The proposed research seeks to contribute to the scientific debate concerning alternative ecological urbanism strategies as a model in small cities (150,000 inhabitants.) linking new paradigms in urban ecology, agricultural production, water management and reclaimed landscape. Mining activities are dependent on the world market demand and can last as long as mineral commodities are available. In order to develop more sustainable strategies, reclamation activities could parallel extractive activities. The question to be asked is what if extractive minerals are not a dead-end? A number of cases in northern Chile reveal have had active mineral extraction for the last 90 years and established a rather forced relationship with infrastructure, landscape and environment. If reclaimed mining landscape is scheduled at some point of time, how could one approach urbanism in the ‘perpetual transition’ of mining cities? The case study is located in the Atacama region with over 4000 mining activities, and particularly in the periphery of Copiapo, were mineral extraction is present in more than 2000 pits divided between artisanal and transnational scale, active and abandoned. Extraction, along with depleted water reserves from aquifers for agriculture, compromises potable water for surrounding cities. Adopting concepts from ecological urbanism, the research intends to develop strategies to address water scarcity, mining waste and biodiversity loss.

Keywords:environmental-planning, Reclaimed landscape, urban planning, water stress, mining waste, water scarcity

Disciplines:Architectural engineering, Architecture, Interior architecture, Architectural design, Art studies and sciences

Project type:PhD project