Independencia is a commune located in the north-central sector of Greater Santiago (Chile). Its urban layout is rather irregular in shape and is characterized by the presence of medium-size buildings. Based on the data collected in 2017 in the Census of the National Institute of Statistics, the commune has an area of 7 km² and it is estimated that the population for the year 2022 was 150,074 inhabitants, where 74,538 are women and 75,536 are men.
Main environmental challenges faced by the city
Currently, one of the priorities of Independencia is to improve the life quality of the residents of the commune, for which the municipality is committed to ensuring and promoting care for the environment, with the aim of achieving a balance with the social and economic development.
The environmental challenges currently facing the commune are those associated with the following topics:
- Circular cities and economy.
- Sustainable energy.
- Climate change.
- Environmental education and citizen participation.
- Sustainable trade.
- Green infrastructure.
- Water efficiency.
- Mobility and public space.
NBS implemented or planned
Within the commune, the main NBS, which is currently under development, is the Urban Forest with the Miyawaki methodology. This project consists of recovering an empty area within the commune, which will be used to create an urban forest that imitates the dynamics of a native forest, restoring part of the natural ecosystem of the place. In addition, this project seeks to reduce the effect of "Heat Waves" and the effect of the "Heat Island" of the city.