Editing Santiago (section)

=== The metropolis in the early twenty-first century ===
[[File:Gran Torre Santiago, Costanera Center (24847266437).jpg|alt=|left|thumb|275x275px|The [[Gran Torre Costanera]] is the tallest building in [[South America]] and second tallest in [[Ibero-America]]. It is part of the [[Costanera Center]] complex, ]]
[[File:Santiago from sky costanera 2018.jpg|thumbnail|left|Northwestern [[Las Condes]] from [[Gran Torre Santiago|Sky Costanera]] in 2018]]With the onset of the [[Chilean transition to democracy|transition to democracy]] in 1990, the city of Santiago surpassed four million inhabitants, with the majority residing in the south, particularly in La Florida, which was the most populous area, followed by Puente Alto and Maipú. The real estate development in these municipalities, as well as in others such as Quilicura and Peñalolén, was largely driven by the construction of housing projects for middle-class families. Meanwhile, high-income families relocated to the foothills, now commonly referred to as ''Barrio Alto'', boosting the population of Las Condes and giving rise to young communes, including [[Lo Barnechea]] and [[Vitacura]], both established in 1981 and 1991, respectively.

The area around [[Providencia Avenue]] became an important commercial hub in the eastern sector. This development extended to the ''Barrio Alto'', which became an attractive location for the construction of high-rise buildings. Major companies and financial corporations established themselves in the area, giving rise to a thriving modern business center commonly known as ''[[Sanhattan]]''. The departure of these companies to ''Barrio Alto'' and the construction of [[Shopping mall|shopping centers]] all around the city created a crisis in the city center. To reinvigorate the area, the government transformed the main shopping streets into pedestrian walkways, as it did in the 1970s, and offered tax benefits for the construction of residential buildings, which attracted young adults.

The city faced a series of problems due to disorganized growth. During the winter months, [[air pollution]] reached critical levels and a layer of [[smog]] blanketed the city. In response, the authorities implemented legislative measures to reduce industrial pollution and placed [[Road space rationing|restrictions]] on vehicle use. To address the problem of transportation, the metro system underwent significant expansion, with lines being extended and three new lines added between 1997 and 2006 in the southeastern sector. In 2011, a new extension was inaugurated in Maipú, bringing the total length of the metropolitan railway to {{Convert|105|km|abbr=on}}. In the early 1990s, the bus system also underwent a major reform. In 2007, the master plan known as [[Transantiago]] was established, although it has faced various challenges since its implementation.

[[File:Titanium La Portada (38888739395).jpg|thumbnail|[[Titanium La Portada]]]]
Entering the 21st century, rapid development continued in Santiago. The Civic District was revitalized with the creation of the [[Plaza de la Ciudadanía]] and the construction of the Ciudad Parque Bicentenario, which marked the [[Bicentennial of Chile|bicentenary]] of the Republic. The trend of constructing tall buildings continued in the eastern sector, which was highlighted by the opening of the [[Titanium La Portada]] and [[Gran Torre Santiago]] skyscrapers in the [[Costanera Center]] complex.

On 27 February 2010, a [[2010 Chile earthquake|powerful earthquake]] hit the capital city of Santiago, causing damage to some older buildings and rendering some modern structures uninhabitable. This sparked a heated discussion about the actual implementation of mandatory earthquake standards in the city's modern architecture.

Despite urban integration efforts, socioeconomic inequality and geosocial fragmentation remain two of the most important problems, both in the city and in the country. These problems have been considered one of the factors that led to the ''"[[Estallido Social]]"'', a series of massive protests and severe riots carried out between 2019 and 2020. The protests led to a serious civil confrontation, which led to thousands of arrests and accusations of human rights violations. Meanwhile, the demonstrations registered serious episodes of violence against public and private infrastructure, mainly in the surroundings of [[Plaza Baquedano]], with the [[Santiago Metro]] being one of the most affected by these episodes: more than half of its stations registered damage (several being partially set on fire) and only eleven months later the network returned to full normal service.