With the premise that Greater Concepción’s own residents should serve as ambassadors for their city, Recomiendo Conce was born — an initiative launched by City Lab Biobío that invited locals through an open survey to highlight their favorite spots in the region, creating a community-curated guide of places to recommend to visitors.
The survey was launched in connection with the arrival of more than 100 researchers from Chile and around the world for the Cities in Transition Summit — the first gathering of MIT’s urban laboratory network in the Southern Hemisphere — scheduled for Oct. 7, 8 and 9 at the Teatro Biobío in Concepción.
According to the lab, the initiative received more than 1,000 recommendations spanning 250 destinations across restaurants, shops, cafes, parks and cultural spaces. The majority of suggestions were for Concepción, followed by San Pedro de la Paz and Hualpén.
Topping the list is Arket Emporio Vegano, a shop located steps from the city’s main plaza, followed by the burger joint Chicken Bites and the popular Café Callejón. Among outdoor destinations, standouts include Parque Jorge Alessandri in Coronel and the Cerro Caracol overlook, which offers a panoramic view of the entire city.
On the cultural front, locals highlighted the Casa del Arte José Clemente Orozco — more commonly known as the Pinacoteca — a painting and fine arts museum located on the campus of Universidad de Concepción. All recommendations are now available on an interactive, collaborative map on the lab’s website.
“Every recommendation reflects our identity and the way we experience our city. We all have that go-to café, that hidden gem only locals know about, or that corner that deserves to be on the map for visitors — shared by the people who live this city every day,” said Fernando Pérez, principal director of City Lab Biobío.
During the Summit — organized by the lab with private sector support from companies including Grupo CAP Huachipato and Entel Digital — the survey results will be presented as an immersive experience allowing visitors to explore the region’s most beloved spots.
The summit, backed by MIT Media Lab’s City Science group and with global innovation support from ChileMass, will bring together international experts in urbanism, data and technology from Europe, Asia, North America and South America. Over three days of talks and public activities, attendees will explore what the cities of the future might look like through the lens of data science and the exchange of global experiences.
About the lab
City Lab Biobío is a city science laboratory — the only one in Chile and the southernmost in the world. Through a partnership between the Regional Government of Biobío and the Chilean Chamber of Construction, under the leadership of Corporación Ciudades, the applied research lab has achieved notable milestones within MIT City Science’s global network of city science laboratories.
Recommendations can be browsed at https://citylabbiobio.github.io/recomiendo-conce/
