Territorial governance and climate change in liquid realities: assimilation of the SDG 11.b in urban planning instruments of the Antofagasta region (Chile)

Abstract

The article examines the assimilation of Target 11.b of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) into policies and plans oriented toward climate resilience and adaptation through the urban and territorial planning instruments of the Antofagasta Region (Chile). It evaluates institutional coherence within a context of territorial governance characterized by “liquid realities,” analyzing the gap between the global ambitions of the 2030 Agenda and their local uptake. The study adopts a sequential mixed-methods design with qualitative priority, combining the analysis of 35 institutional documents with seven semi-structured interviews with experts. Institutional coherence is operationalized across three dimensions—vertical, horizontal, and adaptive— assessed through an ordinal scale applied to the assimilation of SDG 11.b. The results reveal limited coherence across territorial planning scales. Indicative instruments are more numerous, up-to-date, and show an incipient incorporation of resilience and climate-adaptation criteria, whereas normative instruments are scarce, outdated, or even absent, with minimal assimilation of SDG 11.b. These gaps reflect structural weaknesses in Antofagasta’s terri-torial governance, particularly in multilevel coordination, intersectoral articulation, and adaptive capacities. The study concludes that in the Antofagasta region, urban planning instruments are not sufficiently updated or well coordinated to effectively incorporate climate change adaptation and the implementation of SDG 11.b. It provides empirical evidence from a peripheral subnational context on the constraints and barriers that shape the transition toward resilient and sustainable urban planning in the face of climate change.