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Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC) stand at the forefront of urbanization, with 81% of its population residing in urban areas, projected to rise to nearly 88% by 2050 (UN-Habitat, 2022). While urbanization brings forth opportunities and despite huge national and subnational investments in infrastructure to accomodate it, local governments have failed to organize the availability of land, housing, jobs, transportation, social and essential services in a sufficient, sustainable and equitable manner: approximately 110 million individuals in LAC live in informal settlements, experiencing conditions of poverty and social exclusion (UN-Habitat, 2020).
Policies aimed at addressing informal settlements have evolved over the years, going from demolition to integrative upgrading approaches, proving successful in securing shelter and reasonably good access to opportunities for millions of individuals. Yet, two questions continue to be unresolved: neither have we been able to provide sufficient and opportune alternative to informal settlements, nor are we always improving in providing good, more affordable and better located housing opportunities in formal settlements. And, as we’ve seen, failing to do so is not without costs when a pandemic strikes, or transnational migrations occur, or national policies evolve: increased poverty, hunger, homelessness and insecurity.
If the city we are able to provide is neither sufficient nor good enough, this event aims to discuss a new frame of questions: what is it to learn from them in terms of the fabric of the city/the society? Beyond the informality, what is the popular city showing us? Should we come to terms with the historical idea that these territories are vulnerable and start looking at them from a perspective that recognizes the social, cultural and economic value that exists there? What else could we be doing to empower these territories -people places- to thrive?
Speakers Carina Arvizu Machado, Mexican-Brazilian architect, urban planner and urban policy specialist. Maria-Mercedes Jaramillo Garcés is the former Secretary of Planning for Bogotá (2021-2023). Agustina Rodríguez Biasone, former Advisor in the National Congress, focusing on criminal and youth law matters, and researcher for the Ministry of Security of the Nation.
Moderated by Diane Davis, Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism and Co-Chair of the Mexico Studies Program at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies.