Las Salinas, together with the (PUCV), the (CRCP) and the (FEF) promote the initiative, which took a new step by officially inaugurating the first exhibition of initiatives in Viña del Mar. After the presentation of the results of the Study, which consulted more than a thousand people in October 2023, the strategic committee of the City Study continued working on the visual display and physical presentation of the different projects and initiatives, both public and private, that have been proposed for the city of Viña del Mar. In addition, a special chapter was included that refers to the area affected by the February fire and the environmental and geographic conditions that are key to future prevention actions. The exhibition is open to the public at the Corporación Cultural (Arlegui 683) and features 32 initiatives, proposals, preliminary projects or projects that have been announced for Viña del Mar. The opening activity included an analysis of the fires that occurred in February, which was presented by Luis Álvarez, professor of the Institute of Geography of the PUCV. The 32 proposals were presented by professors Ivan Ivelic and Andrés Garcés, together with a team of professors, all from the University’s School of Architecture and Design. The Rector of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Nelson Vásquez, said that “it is always a joy for our institution to work with Viña del Mar. In this case, we are inaugurating an exhibition made with the collaboration and knowledge generated by professors from our School of Architecture and Design and the Institute of Geography, which aims to show the urban development projects of the city”. Vásquez added that “we are sure that through this contribution, which includes knowledge gathered from the feelings of the people, we are contributing with the commitment and public vocation of our University”. While for the President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce of Valparaíso, Javier Torrejón, this study is of great relevance, since “the institutions that are involved in this so-called “City Study”, represent the voice of all the actors that are part of a community, reinforcing what we know as the “Triple Helix”, being a huge boost for the generation of initiatives, sustainable and lasting actions over time, which, in short, have an impact on the quality of life of those who live, study or work in a city or territory, ensuring economic growth. In this sense, we value the testimonies and experiences of the citizens themselves, which is complemented by the vision of those who lead this work, in order to face the challenges that Viña del Mar and the surrounding cities have, being a fundamental piece to continue adapting to new technologies, vanguards and new projects, in a commune that also has a lot of potential, which we must take advantage of”. The Development Manager of Las Salinas, Ricardo Labarca, commented that “an important part of the success of this presentation is that broad visions from different organizations have participated. This systemic vision made it possible to carry out this work, from the study carried out last year to this powerful exhibition that we are inaugurating today”.
For the executive vice-president of Fundación Encuentros del Futuro, Guido Girardi, “this experience of thinking about cities and planning them for better possible futures is a gigantic challenge. With a democratic perspective where citizens are asked, from the point of view of vocation, what kind of city they think Viña del Mar should be, where a possible future can be inserted and hope can be developed. For me, having a project for the city means having a transversal vision that unites the public and private sectors, together with civil society, all pushing towards a certain objective”, he commented. Councilman René Lues, who attended the inauguration, commented that “I think this exhibition and the model that was made are spectacular, since it is a very pedagogical way of showing the different initiatives that exist”. He added that “the seriousness that the PUCV, together with the different organizations that make up RUTA, is, in my opinion, a guarantee that all these ideas and projects can be discussed”. The RUTA Estudio Ciudad Exhibition will be on display until Friday, June 14 at the Corporación Municipal de Viña del Mar (Arlegui 683), from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturdays from 10:00 to 14:00 hrs.
