Original article: Reforma que consagra en la Constitución el derecho a la ciudad será discutida y votada por la Sala del Senado
The proposed amendment to modify Article 19 of the Constitution to include the right to the city is now ready for discussion and a vote in the Senate Chamber.
This initiative was approved both in general and specific terms by the Constitution Commission and originates from a motion by Senators Alfonso De Urresti, José Durana, and Ricardo Lagos, as well as Senators Claudia Pascual and Paulina Núñez.
Specifically, the amendment recognizes the right to the city, which entails providing every individual with the ability to live and thrive in urban areas that foster basic conditions of safety, order, and accessibility.
Additionally, it states that the State will promote, gradually and responsibly, access to essential services, safe public goods, and spaces, as well as measures supporting safe and sustainable mobility and connectivity, through effective land use planning and management, according to the Senate bulletin.
During the debate surrounding the amendment, emphasis was placed on ensuring that, beyond establishing guarantees for the right to the city, considerations also extend to rural areas and regions distant from the country’s population centers.
Watch the full session of the Constitution Commission on this topic below:
Book Launch
In January 2026, the Reading Room of the National Congress Library (BCN) in Santiago hosted the launch of the book «Right to the City. A New Fundamental Right in the Constitution of Chile,» which aims to elevate the need for constitutional recognition of the right to inhabit fairer, more equitable, and sustainable urban areas into the political agenda.
This publication emerged from a series of discussions on «The Right to the City,» held in 2024 and 2025, organized by the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CEDEUS) in collaboration with the parliamentary team of Senator De Urresti, who serves as the president of the Constitution, Legislation, Justice, and Regulations Commission of the Senate.
The digital version of the text is available for free download on the National Congress Library website (click HERE)
The Citizen
