Resumen

CAPRA-RIBEIRO, Fabio. Structural problems of Latin American cities 450 years after Caracas’ foundation. An. Investig. Arquit. [online]. 2022, vol.12, n.1, e302.  Epub 01-Jun-2022. ISSN 2301-1505.  https://doi.org/10.18861/ania.2022.12.1.3241.

Latin American cities face many problems that compromise them from different angles such as infrastructure, governance and environment. At the same time, these cities seem to suffer from a series of certain conditions that make it difficult for them to deal effectively with these problems. From this perspective, the research starts from the hypothesis that the cities of Latin America share important similarities to set itself the objective of identifying the transversal conditions that are making it difficult for them to face their current problems. Understanding these difficulties could help planners and governments deal with the situation and cooperate in developing effective strategies. To achieve these objectives, the research was developed in two stages. First, Caracas was used as a case study in order to build an inductive process. This experimentation was developed within the framework of the "Concurso de Proyectos Participativos en el Espacio Público" organized in commemoration of the 450 years of Caracas’ foundation. This space served as a platform for debate to collect different perspectives on the subject. Second, the research reviewed, analyzed, and categorized the diagnoses made by hundreds of Best Practices collected in the UN Habitat data bases. Finally, the research defined the common conditions that hinder the sustainable development of Latin American cities as: magnitude, discontinuity, opacity, fragmentation, urgency, and implementation. In addition, the enormous potential and opportunities that characterize these cities ended up being valued as a negative element, a kind of cliché that maintains an eternal hope in the future instead of motivating the actions that should be taken in the present.

Palabras clave : Natural disaster; Global South; Governance; Flood; Earthquake; Population growth; Infrastructure..

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