Bibliographic Information

The Latin American city

Alan Gilbert

Latin America Bureau , Distribution in North America by Monthly Review Press, 1998

2nd ed

  • U.S.A.

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-184) and index

"Rev. ed."--Cover

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

U.S.A. ISBN 9780853459385

Description

Since the 1950s, Latin America has been transformed from a rural to an urban society. The region now contains some of the world's biggest cities, headed by Mexico City with its 20 million inhabitants. In all but five Latin American countries, more people now live in towns and cities than in the countryside. This mass movement from country to city has put enormous strain on the infrastructure and services of cities such as Bogota and Caracas. Conditions continue to worsen as governments cut back social spending in their structural adjustment programmes. The Latin American City looks at the region's urban explosion from the perspective of the poor. It asks why people are attracted to the city and examines the underlying problem of rural poverty which fuels the exodus. It explores the options open to those arriving in the city and the strategies used in order to acquire land and build a home. Highlighting the role of the informal sector in urban survival, it also explains how popular organisation and protest can result in improved living standards for the poor.
Volume

ISBN 9781899365227

Description

First published in 1994, this work has become established as one of the standard texts on urbanization and regional development problems. This revised edition contains updated statistics and analysis, as well as the author's new introduction, covering events in Latin America up to the present. Looking at a range of cities from Mexico City to Rio de Janeiro, Alan Gilbert explores the many social and environmental challenges facing the Third World's most urbanized region. Chapters explore the growth of the city, migration and informal-sector employment, housing strategies and urban protest.

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