Government adjusts its proposal to amend the building ordinance

Chile's Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (Minvu) has released its final assessment of a public consultation on proposed modifications to the General Urbanism and Construction Ordinance (Oguc). The process, which ran from April 8 to April 22, saw record participation with 957 registered responses, surpassing previous efforts related to the Oguc. The consultation aimed to deregulate land use, increase urban density, and shorten approval timelines for construction projects. The document, dated July 24, highlights that 764 of these responses included technical opinions, amounting to nearly 2,000 pages of analysis. This figure far exceeds the average of 84.5 registrations recorded during similar consultations between 2022 and 2025. The closest competitor in terms of engagement was the consultation on rural land division, which received 950 responses. According to the ministry, three-quarters of all submissions came from civil society organizations, including individuals, neighborhood associations, and committees. Of these, 531 were from private citizens, while 66 came from neighborhood boards and 33 from committees. The private sector contributed 125 responses, with 70 from companies, 36 from consultants, and 19 from professional guilds. Public institutions added 96 responses, with 80 coming from municipalities, 13 from state agencies, and 3 from regional governments. Forty-one municipalities submitted observations, with seven directly from mayors and 34 through Urban Advisors or Local Planning Councils (SECPLA). Participating communes included Las Condes, Providencia, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Vitacura, Lo Barnechea, Estación Central, Maipú, Puente Alto, and Peñalolén, along with cities in regions such as La Serena, Copiapó, Rancagua, Quilpué, Valdivia, San Pedro de la Paz, and Puerto Varas. The ministry categorized feedback into nine thematic areas linked to specific articles of the ordinance. These include mobility and mitigation in public and reconstruction projects, risk area studies, building permit expiration, parking near public transport, maximum density, harmonious complexes, pavement and road profiles, modification of approved projects, and calculation of built surface. The distribution of comments varied significantly. Maximum density generated the highest number of responses, with 171 submissions containing attached documents and another 317 via the online form. This was followed by harmonious complexes, with 178 submissions with attachments and 17 through the form, and parking requirements, with 138 and 11 respectively. Permit expiration had 127 with documents and 17 through the form. Risk area studies received the fewest responses, totaling 75. Regarding maximum density, the consolidated report prepared by the Urban Development Division indicates that the proposal faced widespread opposition from participants who expressed concerns over potential risks to urban planning, municipal autonomy, quality of life, and city sustainability. The document notes that favorable observations remain a minority and generally require additional technical and regulatory safeguards to support their approval. The ministry, led by Minister Iván Poduje, states in the report that the goals of the reform received broad support, though discussions focused primarily on implementation mechanisms. The consultation underscores the complexity of balancing urban development objectives with community concerns and regulatory frameworks.