In an era of global climate change and rapid urbanization, it is necessary to change the way of cities have been developed. Cities need a new... Show moreIn an era of global climate change and rapid urbanization, it is necessary to change the way of cities have been developed. Cities need a new vision and a new strategy to reduce their impact on the environment. Therefore, it is essential to research about how to design sustainable cities, which are the main characteristics of a sustainable urban design, and how it is possible to combine all these factors in a sustainable way to develop a city which reduces impact in the ecosystem and creates a better quality of life as a place to live. For these reasons, one of the main objectives of this thesis is to develop a prototype of a sustainable new city based on the sustainable city principles, and also to understand the social, economic and environmental context where the city is located. In this proposal, the new city is located in the extreme South of Chile to replace a previous city that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Therefore, this new city - New Chaiten- is an opportunity in the region to build a city which represents a new vision of sustainable urban development which promotes a balance between the social and economic needs of the community and environmental conservation. Furthermore, it creates an enjoyable urban environment with a high quality of life while reducing energy consumption. M.S. in Architecture, December 2012 Show less
