RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between poverty and topography.

The goal of this project was to find a relationship between poverty and topography in Valparaiso, Chile. While the maps show an obvious relation between the two, I was unable to find studies over the theme. Still, one can conclude that there is, indeed, a relationship between the poverty and topography of Valparaiso, and I am going to offer my own opinions as to why.

It is obvious that the poor people are concentrated in the higher altitudes of the hills, but none of the articles I read offered an explanation as to why. In my opinion, it is due to how the city was developed. Like I already said, the English were the first to occupy the hills in an organized way. The plan didn't offer any more space, so they had to occupy the hills. When immigrants arrived, they were of a lesser economic standing than the English, who already had established businesses. Because the lower parts of the hilss were already occupied (and now seem to have a higher price for the land than the higher regions), the immigrants had to settle higher up. This tendency continued throughout history, with the poor people migrating higher and higher into the hills, only to find space and affordable land.

A problem for the poor in the higher reaches of the hills is that their buildings are not very stable. The slopes of the hills make the erosion a very big problem for the city, and when someone has an unstable house, the effects of erosion become stronger. When a town is built, the vegetation is removed. Vegetation is what helps keep the land together during rain, and prevents erosion. Without it, the water runs freely, causing landslides. The effects of the erosion are worse for the poor, because each time it rains, the water could potentially destroy their homes.

The quality of their houses is also horrible when an earthquake strikes, sending the buildings immediately to the ground.

The maps in this section come from the final map. They are different scenes of the same map, so that the reader can have a panoramic view of the city, and different points of view. To see a video of a simulation of flying through the hills, see the entry with videos.