Industrial Legacy and Housing Quality: The Case of Chimbote and Talara, Peru

Abstract

Latin American cities established around an industry or company present urban patterns shaped by corporate decisions rather than public planning. Chimbote and Talara, two Peruvian port cities, illustrate this phenomenon: both experienced urban expansion driven by industries —railroad, fishing, and steel in Chimbote; and oil in Talara— that in some cases provided housing for workers and in others fueled uncontrolled growth without adequate housing provision. This thesis examines how industrial development is related to current housing quality in terms of physical sustainability, basic services, overcrowding, and tenure, arguing that a path dependency exists between industrial history and present housing conditions. The findings aim to inform the urban development of Peruvian cities facing similar dynamics today, where new economic investments organize territories while urban planning is sidelined and the provision of adequate housing remains absent.