To understand the recent processes of metropolitan occupation, a methodology based on visual interpretation of aerial and satellite images and census data is developed. This methodology has been applied on the Metropolitan Area of Concepción (MAC), for the census years 1992 and 2002. This analysis provides maps and statistical tables that allow synthesizing relevant aspects of the growth processes of urban areas from a morphological perspective; discover the types of occupation of urban land and the impact these have on the variation of urban population density on a metropolitan and municipal scale. The results show that during the study period, the MAC has a significant urban growth, mainly resulting from the consumption of industrial and residential land.