When the development of a society becomes an endless number of individual battles between communities and companies, the result, in the best of cases, will be the position of different positions, which after a relationship of trenches, end up yielding in order to reach an agreement and not lose. On the contrary, the one between communities and companies has an infinitely greater value, since harmonic solutions emerge from a process between the different actors, whose greatest richness comes from the recognition of a common sense, shared and put in value thanks to the participative construction of the process. Considering the controversial scenario in which we live, how can an urban design project become a development process that truly adds value, regenerates the health of our communities and inspires the human spirit over time? We know that the challenge is not minor, however the possibilities of success lie in the conditions of the territory, its people, history and urban culture and that is why we understand that there is a great opportunity for the city with the activation of the Las Salinas sector for urban use. If we look at the history of Viña del Mar, it has been characterized by a community proud of its city, one of the most innovative and outstanding in the country. In this context, Las Salinas emerges as a new neighbor of this community, which comes to pick up this innovative vocation, with a pioneering sanitation project for the land and a neighborhood design that incorporates potentialities that transcend the limits of the land and benefit the entire city. Achieving innovative results requires articulating different ways of working, with relationships based on permanent and transparent dialogue that generate the necessary trust to advance towards a common goal: the quality of life of Viña del Mar and its inhabitants. That is why, since the beginning of this project, in Las Salinas we have made an effort to generate open and participative spaces, where we have met with authorities, universities, NGOs, experts, companies, etc., with special emphasis on our most direct neighbors. We have held 8 Urban Dialogues between 2015 and 2018; 1 Environmental Meeting in 2018; 2 early citizen participation processes (PACA), in 2016 and 2018; and a formal Citizen Participation Process (PAC) related to the EIA currently under evaluation. We continue to look for ways to open spaces for participation, deliberative discussion and meetings to involve the community early with the project, allowing it to improve and adapt to the local and metropolitan reality. We are convinced that we can work collaboratively with the communities to generate concrete proposals in the sector that contribute to improving the quality of life of the people, within a framework of economic, social and environmental sustainability, thanks to joint management processes based on respect and trust, aiming at the well-being of the city.
