comparative urban politics: pl.sc. 422

Growth of Cities & Urban Regions in Latin America

Comparative Urban Politics:Pl.Sc. 422

Pre-Colombian Cities & Architecture

Tenochtitlan

Spanish Colonial Cities/Built Environment of Mexico City

Cartagena: Key to the Spanish Caribbean

Man-made Destruction in Spanish Colonial Empire:

19th Century

Political infrastructure destroyed in the struggle for independence

Looting and burning in the major colonial cities

Early nation-building: More destruction

Argentina’s first gauchos, or cowboys, were cavalrymen who fought in the civil wars that scourged the country for almost 50 years after independce

Caracas: A Case Study of Urban Destruction

Earthquake and sack by Spanish troops devastates the city

Fifty years of independence: destruction continuesConservative interlude (1830’s to 50’s) Liberal – Conservative clash in the

1850’s/1860’sBuilt environment modernized (1880’s

Census of 1890 – Caracas regain the population it had in census of 1810 (50,00)

Contemporary Caracas

BRAZIL in SOUTH AMERICA

Cities of Brazil: Early Development

Colonial pattern resembled British Colonies of North America

Northeast Brazil as the heart of Colonial BrasilRecifeSalvador

Cities of Brazil: Early Development

Shift to Rio de Janeiro1763 – capital

relocated to Rio de Janeiro

Transfer of Portuguese court consolidates primacy of Rio

Rio functions as primate city until the early twentieth century

Colonial built environment: government buildings in Rio

National Cities of Brazil: Twentieth Century

Emergence of São Paulo as the country’s largest and wealthiest city

Rio continues to exert national influence CultureTourismState corporations

Belo Horizonte becomes a national urban center

Cities of Brazil: Twentieth Century

Porto Alegre and Curitiba emerge as regionally important cities in the South

Northeast grows at slower rateSalvador – regional

metropolisRecife – regional

metropolisFortaleza – regional

metropolis Transfer of capital to

Brasilia in 1960

LATIN AMERICA: FROM A RURAL TO AN URBAN

SOCIETY

1960 less that 50% of Latin Americans lived in cities

Plummeting death rates and unchanged fertility rates lead to dramatic increase in migration to the large cities

Most cities provided employment, housing, transportation and basic health services

SHAPE OF THE CITYShare basic similarity at their inception

Council of Indies sets Spanish American patternOverseas Council sets Brazilian patternUrban life centers on the plaza

Pattern of expansion has been similarPart of international production systemDevelopment pathInternationalization of consumer tasteInformal sector everywhere

Urban Primacy: Dominant Pattern First city much larger than any other

city in the countryPolitical centerEconomic centerCultural center

Buenos Aires and Lima ten times larger than the second city

Brazil city system: continental in scopeColombia: Bogotá not yet a primate city

Map

GROWTH OF THE LATIN AMERICAN MEGACITIES

Mexico City and São Paulo approach twenty million

Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires exceed approach 14 million

Lima and Bogotá surpass 7 million