Santiago’s March 2025 opening of the first phase of Mapocho Río Park delivered 129 acres of revitalized riverfront along 5.6 miles of the Mapocho, reinforcing a #19 ranking for Nature & Parks, repairing industrial sprawl and enhancing everyday life for a quarter million people. Air Quality (#202) should improve with game-changing mobility projects – from the Teleférico Pío Nono to the much larger Teleférico Bicentenario and the largest transit project in decades: Metro Line 7, stretching 16.2 miles across eight communes.
Retail and mixed-use investments, like Parque Arauco Kennedy’s $500-million expansion, are redefining Las Condes, and an April 2025 acquisition of Open Plaza Kennedy for $173 million consolidates the district as a luxury shopping powerhouse. A $4-million renovation of the Santiago Marriott in Las Condes is refreshing 280 rooms for the first time in a generation. Meanwhile, tourism is booming: 3.9 million international arrivals in 2024, with early 2025 traffic already exceeding forecasts – a sure boost for the #21 Instagram Posts ranking. Global funds are also flowing in. Chile’s 2024 $56.2-billion portfolio of active investment projects was up 68% year over year, with Santiago at its center. Microsoft’s June 2025 launch of its 100% renewably- powered “Chile Central” cloud region will reshape both Chile’s economy and the balance of hyperscale power in Latin America.