Urbanization

1. Urbanization In Latin America

3. Rapid urbanization • Colonial impacts • Urban primacy • Megacities • Urban Poverty • Urban Forms

4. 1. Rapid Urbanization • Post-WWII • 1950 : 41.4% • 2019 : 80.4% • (globally >50%) • Great variations around average • Highly urban : Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela (>90%) • Less urban : Haiti, Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras (50%)

5. Reasons: • Sustained rural to urban migration • Since 40s and 50s • PUSH factors :rural poverty, lack of jobs • PULL factors : improved quality of life, jobs • Predominantly young people • By 60s, growth due to NATURAL INCREASE • Difference between births and deaths as % • Because of young population (more births, fewer deaths)

6. estimates of the size of the labor income gap between urban and rural areas. (difference is greatest in the region's two largest economies).

7. Post WWII, cities were located near: • Ports • Manufacturing and industrial centers • Eventually led to “OVERURBANIZATION” • More people than jobs and housing

8. Beginning in 1970s • Decline in ISI • Debt crisis • Free market policies • Structural adjustments led to deindustrialization, rise in informal economy and urban poverty • Urban growth shifted from large cities to places more competitive in global economy • E.g., border towns to take advantage of maquiladoras • (Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez) • Tourist destinations • (Cancun, Acapulco, Cartegena)

9. Informal economy • Very important part of urban economies • Not part of recorded economy; not regulated • Adults and children • E.g. shoe shining, selling goods on street, drug trade, sex trade • Formal and informal depend on one another

10. 2. Colonial impacts • Pre-colonial centers • Mesoamerica is considered one of the URBAN HEARTHS • Where ancient civilizations settled and power and social organization were centered • Teotihuacan • One of the largest cities in world 200,000 in 8 sq. mi area • Central Mexican highlands • Tenochtitlan, Cuzco, Machu Picchu • Often European settlements were established on pre-existing sites

11. Leading urban centers Of Late Colonial Latin America

13. Urban systems and layout reflect colonial times • Colonial cities: focal points for extraction, export, distribution of manufactured goods • centers for controlling and administering the colonies • Layout of colonial cities: central plaza, church, administrative and government buildings

14. P 346 text Typical Colonial Plaza

15. Zocalo, Mexico City

16. Arequipa, Peru

17. Valladolid, Mexico

22. 3. Urban Primacy • Largest city at lease double in population compared to next largest city; disproportionately large share of pop • Began in colonial era

23. Examples of primate cities: • Lima has 11 x population of Arequipa (2015) • 9 886 600 869 400 • Santiago : • Santiago's 2019 population is now estimated at 6,723,516 Chile’s population : 18,309,101 37% • Asunción has 1/3 of Paraguay’s population

24. Primacy Index • Ratio of population of largest city to population of next 3 largest combined • Buenos Aires : 13,361,000 / 3,661,000 = 3.5 • Montevideo, Uruguay : 1,269,552 / 255,743 = 5 • Port-au-Prince, Haiti = 3.8

25. Exceptions to primacy • Brazil • São Paulo , Rio De Janeiro : similar in size • Bolivia • Santa Cruz, La Paz : similar

26. Slowing growth in primate cities • Overall reduction in primacy (acc to % and index)

27. Development of mid-sized cities • Return migration out of megacities due to economy, environmental and social problems • Better communication • Changing patterns of industrialization

28. 4. Megacities • Population > 10 million • 4/10 of world’s megacities in Latin America: • São Paulo : 20,847,500 • Mexico City : 20,976,700 • Rio de Janeiro : 12,460,200 • Buenos Aires : 13,381,800 • Problems: • Environmental degradation • Poor infrastructure • Social issues Sao Paulo

29. World Megacities - Population in MillionsSource: State of the World Population 2001 Chapter 3, UNFPA

30. Leading Urban Centers And Emerging Megalopoli Early 21st Century

31. 4. Urban Poverty • Enormous self-built squatter settlements surrounding centers of large cities • Informal housing • Lima : pueblos jóvenes • Port-au-Prince : bidonvilles • Rio de Janeiro : favelas • Quito : conventillos • Mexico City : coloniapopulares (1/5 of population) • Buenos Aires : villas miseria • Over time, improve and become neighborhoods with services

32. 1959: • 44% of poor in cities • 2000: 78% • 2005: 60% of poor in cities • 50% of “extremely” poor favela

34. Lack of access to formal housing • Inadequate service provisions • Exposure to violence and crime

35. Informal housing Megacities, Latin America

36. São Paulo • video

37. 5. Urban forms Ford model of Latin American city

38. Commercial parts of city: • Central Business District • Old inner city housing buildings of government and corporations

39. São Paulo, Brazil Rio de Janeiro

40. Curitaba, Brazil Bogotá, Colombia

41. Panama City

42. Commercial Spine • Represents thoroughfare of wealthy residential and commercial • Leads to up-scale shopping areas (mall) • Could also lead to an “edge city” • Notice elite residential sector and middle-class residential sectors

44. Santa Fe Mall, Mexico City

45. Industrial Park: • Outside of city • Factories and warehouses • Served by highways and rail

46. Brazil

47. San Pedro Sula, Honduras

48. Periférico • Perimeter road (rapid transit)

49. Mexico City

50. Mexico City