Latin America is one of the most urbanized regions of the world. To understand Latin America today it is important to trace the origins and characteristics of the urban-rural divide, inequalities within urban areas, and the prospects for change. This is particularly important and timely given the challenges of widening environmental and social disparities, climate change, and climate justice. The authors critically analyze urban issues within the context of the national and regional political economy, neoliberal governance, and urban social movements. Latin America's cities are sharply divided into wealthy enclaves and large peripheral areas, reflecting deep social and economic inequalities, leading to notable movements and reforms. This text explores Latin American cities, their history, similarities and differences, and current problems.
Part I: Poverty, Informality, and Peripheral Cities Chapter 1: Urban Latin America: Periphery, Informality, and Inequality Tom Angotti Chapter 2: Poverty, Inequality, and Informality in the Latin American City Alan Gilbert Chapter 3: They Are Not Informal Settlements: They Are Habitats Made by People Lorena Zarate Chapter 4: The Future of Global Peripheral Cities Erminia Maricato Part II: The Metropolis in Latin America: Sao Paulo and Mexico City Chapter 5: Sao Paulo: City of Industry, Misery, and Resistance William W. Goldsmith and Rogerio Acca Chapter 6: Globalization, Governance, and the Collision of Forces in Mexico City's Historic Center Diane E. Davis Part III: Urban Policies, Neoliberal Reforms, and Best Practices Chapter 7: Failed Markets: The Crisis in the Private Production of Social Housing in Mexico Alfonso Valenzuela Aguilera Chapter 8: Participatory Budgeting in Latin American Cities Benjamin Goldfrank Chapter 9: Urban Governance and Economic Development in Medellin: An "Urban Miracle"? Tobias Franz Chapter 10: Conflict and Convergence between Experts and Citizens: Bogota's TransMilenio Stacey Hunt Chapter 11: Barra da Tijuca: The Political Economy of a Global Suburb in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Lawrence A. Herzog Part IV: Exceptions to the Rules Chapter 12: Housing and Urban Development in the Cuban Revolution Jill Hamberg Chapter 13: Uruguay's Housing Cooperatives: Alternative to the Private Market Tom Angotti Part V: Urban Struggles, Citizenship, and Public Space Chapter 14: Citizenship, Democracy, and Public Space in Latin America Clara Irazabal Chapter 15: Struggles against Territorial Disqualification: Mobilization for Dignified Housing and Defense of Heritage in Santiago Nicolas Angelcos and Maria Luisa Mendez Chapter 16: "We Are Not Marginals": The Cultural Politics of Lead Poisoning in Montevideo, Uruguay Daniel Renfrew References
