Demographic and functional changes in territories with primary activities.

The case of the Maule Region, Chile

Abstract

Systems of cities and regions correspond to a scale of analysis that allows the understanding of demographic and functional processes of territories. This article seeks to understand the trajectories and speeds experienced by cities in the regional system of cities of the Maule Region of Chile in demographic and employment terms, which has had a high but differentiated dynamism in primary activities. The results express that the city of Curicó shows accelerated growth rhythms, explained by a “boom” of fruit-culture linked to the primary sector. The city of Talca, on the other hand, despite being the regional capital, shows a lesser dynamic, while Linares, would be lagging behind and with a noticeable lethargy. Additionally, there is a set of small and medium cities that are showing accelerated dynamics due to primary activities or due to their proximity to larger cities. All these dynamics are framed in a process of coevolution and outsourcing of employment towards branches with low added value in services. These elements are relevant for questioning the sustainability of the prevailing development model and contribute to the diagnosis for the implementation of territorial public policies, given the new attributions that regional governments will have in the Chilean political-administrative framework which will take effect soon.