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Dexter Fernandes extent and distribution patterns. This requires considering
various factors, such as construction systems, building types,
and wood species, among others.
Moreover, the potential benefits of wood construction at

the urban level can only be analysed if its scope and variation
in space and time are well understood.
However, determining how much wood exists in the built
environment is not a straightforward task, and this information
is not readily available in all countries. Various approaches can
be used to obtain these data, including (i) data from national
records, such as building permits or real estate property
This is due to the construction sector’s heavy reliance on records; (ii) estimates made through sample surveys, such as
fossil fuel-intensive materials such as concrete. Within this censuses or sampling methodologies; (iii) approaches based

Chilean context, it is essential to understand the carbon- on aerial imagery and model estimations; and (iv) commercial
storing benefits of materials like wood in the construction records of forest production and sales of wood products.
sector, alongside their advantages in promoting a forestry This study is based on the use of national real estate
sector that produces sustainable wood products capable of records to quantify wood in the built environment. The case
storing carbon and reducing embodied emissions. study of Santiago in Chile benefits from tax records maintained
The city of Santiago, represented in this study by the 32 by the country’s Internal Revenue Service, which detail the
municipalities of the Province of Santiago, with a total area primary materials used in building structures for the purpose

of approximately 2,110 km2 and a population exceeding five of a property tax assessment.
million inhabitants, serves as a representative example of This database includes multiple records that allow for the
national building and public policy trends in Chile. identification of built square metres according to the materials
Like many cities worldwide, Santiago faces significant used in structural walls, the intended use of the building (e.g.,
challenges related to urban densification, transportation, and residential, commercial, educational, or other), the year of
resource consumption. Nonetheless, the city has implemented construction, records of modifications over time, the quality of
pioneering initiatives in green infrastructure, urban planning, construction, and others that are not relevant to this research.
and efficient public transportation, positioning itself as a model Chilean records have been available since 2018, with updates
for other cities in the Latin American region. However, the being made every six months, and they include public access

impact of these policies on wood-based buildings and the data on demolitions, modifications, and new constructions.
urban biogenic carbon stock remains unclear. These records are gathered using detailed manuals and
More critically, it is uncertain whether these policies are assessments carried out by professional property appraisers.
contributing to biogenic carbon storage or facilitating its release The eight-year measurement period is due to the system’s
into the atmosphere. digitisation in 2018; earlier records exist but lack the consistent
structure found in the current dataset.
Quantifying Wood In The Built Environment Furthermore, while the Chilean National Statistics Institute

Accurately quantifying the volume of wood present in buildings (INE) keeps a record of building permit requests, which identifies
within the built environment is the key to understanding its the main materials used and conducts a national housing