The city of Concepción in Chile will become South America's first “lab city.” The City Science Biobío program is a partnership between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Media Lab), the Regional Government of Biobío, Corporación Ciudades, and the Chilean Chamber of Construction (CChC). These institutions will work in collaboration with local universities, municipalities, and civic organizations. MIT professionals will also visit the area to support the studies driven by the program.
This initiative aims to strengthen urban planning by addressing local issues, primarily the housing deficit in Greater Concepción. The four-year project represents an investment of 4.2 billion Chilean pesos, funded by the Chilean Chamber of Construction and the Regional Government of Biobío.
“This is a unique opportunity for an area as significant as Greater Concepción. For the first time in Chile, we will have MIT's knowledge and methodology to develop long-term urban planning that extends beyond short-term political cycles. We hope this will allow us to advance toward greater territorial equity and improve the quality of life for families living in areas with lower urban well-being,” says Martín Andrade, Executive Director of Corporación Ciudades.
The project will launch in the second half of 2022 with the establishment of the applied research laboratory and the diagnostic analysis of the study area, followed by the deployment of the “City Scope” platform. City Scope is a tool developed by the MIT Media Lab to model cities at scale and simulate the effects of various urban interventions, including housing developments, green spaces, and road infrastructure. Using augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and data analysis, the platform allows real-time visualization of potential scenarios and their environmental, social, and economic impacts.
The MIT “City Science Lab” project for the city of Concepción has been championed by the Chilean Chamber of Construction since 2018, coming to fruition this year following approval from the Regional Government. This initiative positions Chile and the city of Concepción among the seven MIT Media Lab laboratory cities, joining Toronto, Guadalajara, Hamburg, Andorra, Taipei, Shanghai, and Ho Chi Minh City. Through these “City Science Labs,” the network is expanding globally to study and foster sustainable urban growth.
This article was written by Victoria Riquelme. The translation is powered by AI.
