De los “gentries” a los precarios urbanos. Los nuevos residentes del centro del Santiago

The socio-spatial transformations that have taken place in the municipality of Santiago support the thesis that they relate to the arrival of inhabitants of diverse residential origins, situation that is manifested in the coexistence of gentrification verticalization and slumming processes. The purpose of the research was to understand this reality from a qualitative and random dimension; therefore 64 in-depth interviews—in four areas of major change of the commune—were conducted. The objective was to define ideal urban types among the actual population of the city center, from which five categories were identified: gentrie pioneer, gentrie successor, urban transient, decadent and poor. Each of these categories represents a mental construct that allows comprehending socio-spatial phenomenon of change that affects the central areas. The typology as defined, resulted as an intersection of key variables, such as the residential and socio-professional trajectory, the occupation level, types of inhabited spaces, and the purpose of their spatial practices. Their divergences and convergences appeal to the design of new urban and housing policies for central spaces.