OGLM 2030 - Latin American Cities

Cities reflect, produce and have the ability to diminish inequalities. As such, they have always stimulated the sociological imagination. However, most urban theories have

been based on quite exceptional cases, cities of the North such as Berlin or Chicago. There is, however, an extensive body of literature on third world cities from which

urban theory can and should learn. As an example, while most of the literature on residential segregation in the North shows how race (in the US) or migration (in Europe) impacts residence, in Latin America, class is the main cleavage determining residential choices and constraints, even though the other cleavages also matter (and we will also speak about them). Informality is another crucial dimension about which urban theory has a lot to learn from the South. Moreover, some of the most creative urban innovations to tackle inequality have recently come from Latin American cities, from the “social urbanism” of Medellín to the much older slum upgrading programs that started in Rio and traveled all over the planet. We need to learn about them to better understand continuities and ruptures with cities of the North. In this course, we will see many authors working in Latin America, of course in relation to other cases and theories, often from the North (power inequalities in knowledge production cannot be denied), but also from other places such as India or South Africa, encouraging a comparative perspective. We have tried to include a wide range of cases from Mexico City to Santiago.

Required readings from this book: Orum, A. M. (2019). The Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia

of urban and regional studies. John Wiley & Sons.

§ Alfonso, Ó. A. (2019). Bogota. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and

Regional Studies (pp. 1–7). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0507

§ Bertoncello, R., & Cerrutti, M. (2019). Buenos Aires. In The Wiley Blackwell

Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Studies (pp. 1–6). John Wiley & Sons,

Ltd.doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0031

4

§ de Faria, R., & Pescatori, C. (2019). Brasília. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of

Urban and Regional Studies (pp. 1–5). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0029

§ Derpic, J. C. (2019). La Paz/El Alto. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and

Regional Studies (pp. 1–4). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0173

§ Garza, G. (2019). Mexico City. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and

Regional Studies (pp. 1–9). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0201

§ Myers, D. J. (2019). Caracas. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and

Regional Studies (pp. 1–5). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0037

§ Ortiz, C. (2019). Medellin. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional

Studies (pp. 1–5). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0194

§ Oyarzun, F. P. (2019). Santiago. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and

Regional Studies (pp. 1–7). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0278

§ Rolnik, R. (2019). São Paulo. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and

Regional Studies (pp. 1–7). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0279

§ Schmidt, S. (2019). Lima. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional

Studies (pp. 1–5). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0183

§ Segura, R. (2019). La Plata. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and

Regional Studies (pp. 1–6). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0552

§ Silvestre, G. (2019). Rio de Janeiro. In The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and

Regional Studies (pp. 1–8). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0272

This is a graduate seminar in which all students are expected to contribute to the discussion based

on the readings and on their research interests. The professor will guide the discussion, clarifying

concepts and bringing in more literature on the topic as well as her experience as urban researcher

in Latin American cities.

The day before class, by 2 pm students should send one or two questions or comments based on

the readings (no more than 300 words total) in a forum. They will be used to motivate reading and

guide class discussion. They should do a minimum of 5 throughout the semester. If they do more,

the best one would be considered for the final grade.

Once in the semester, one or two students (depending on class size) will be in charge of briefly (15

minute maximum) presenting the complementary reading (the last one in the weekly list, with two

asterisks) and relate it to the theme of the session.

The final project will be a group project in which students will have to think of a problem and a

tentative solution in a Latin American city.

TASK PERCENTAGE

Students must develop a project (in groups) to solve a problem in a Latin American Metropolis.

Since session 1 students must start thinking on one undesirable situation they want to solve. In

Session 12 we will develop a “mock investment session” where each team will pitch their project to

the group, which in turn behave as funding bodies, asking questions, and deciding at the end which

will be the project they will support.

Deliverables and Deadlines for the final project. 1

Group and Problem Selection (class 5).

Mid-Term Outline (class 8): 1,200 – 1,500-word draft presenting a diagnostic of a problematic

situation in a Latin American city and justifying why we must do something about it.

Presentations (class 12 or 13): A 10-minute presentation with the relevant elements whose

objective is to convince the funding bodies to support the project The aim of the presentation is to

be concise, fact and data-based, and inspirational.

Final Plan: The extended project with the elements backing up the pitch deck (3,500-4,000 words):

Outline:

§ Diagnostic of the situation (reviewed from the mid-term outline).

§ Problem to be solved.

§ What is the problem? Why must we solve it? Why it is still unsolved? What is causing

it (i.e., persons, groups, interactions)?

§ Governance (actors, relationships, and their interests).

§ Who you have to convince /work with to start your project?

§ Competitors: who is trying to solve the problem? Where have they failed?

§ Which is your target population.

§ Solution.

§ Why will it work? Why your solution is better than what’s out there?