Latin America | This Big City

Apr

Flooding in La Plata, Argentina: A Wake Up Call

Categories: Latin America, Planning, Urban Scale

by Drew Reed

A series of rainstorms recently hit Buenos Aires and La Plata. Houses were flooded, cars were washed away and power was knocked out, in some areas for up to two days. The message is clearer than ever: now is the time to look at urban drainage systems and try to find solutions to increase their effectiveness. Read more

Apr

100 Urban Interventions in 1 Day

Categories: Community, Latin America, People, Placemaking

Tags: Bogota, cc

Comments: No

by Joe Peach

There's a limit to the amount of physical change one person can initiate in a city, but what if hundreds of citizens united, each putting in place the changes they want to see in their city all on the same day? That's the goal of 100en1día - a social movement which aims to inspire citizen driven change. Read more

Apr

Margaret Thatcher and the Argentine Dictators: Enemies with Similar Views on Train Travel

Categories: Governance, Latin America, People, Public Transport, Transport, UK

Tags: cc

Comments: 1

by Drew Reed

And so it is: Margaret Thatcher has finally rusted out and been sent to the great scrap heap in the sky. The media has responded with a flood of historical recaps of her legacy, with one obvious highlight being her brutal (and politically fruitful) war against Argentina. But despite the feud between the two countries, their respective governments shared a similar outlook on transportation Read more

Mar

Pope Francis: A New Era of “Mass” Transit?

Categories: Latin America, Public Transport, Transport

Tags: Buenos Aires, cc

Comments: No

by Drew Reed

It’s a season of firsts for the Catholic Church. The first resignation of a living pope in over 600 years followed up by the first-ever pope from the American continent: Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, famous for his frequent use of public transportation while serving as cardinal in Buenos Aires. Read more

Mar

“Exprópiese!” The Urban Legacy of Hugo Chavez

Categories: Governance, Latin America, People

Tags: cc

Comments: No

by Drew Reed

It's been almost two weeks since the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. There are definitely good things to be said of his presidency, however, his death is also a fitting occasion to step back and thoughtfully reflect on his use of eminent domain and expropriations in cities. Read more

Feb

Five Urban Vending Machines with a Difference

Categories: Asia and the Pacific, Energy and Services, Europe, Latin America, Planning

Tags: cc

Comments: 13

by Joe Peach

If you think a vending machine is something you put money in and get a drink or snack in return, think again. These five vending machines from cities across the globe offer very different returns. Read more

Jan

Santiago’s Biggest Newspaper Takes a Visual Approach to Urban Issues

Categories: Arts and Culture, Latin America, People

Tags: cc, Santiago

Comments: No

by Joe Peach

Helping people learn about their local neighbourhoods is rarely a priority for national newspapers, but in Santiago, Chile, that's not the case. El Mercurio is widely considered to be Chile's most influential newspaper, and their Santiago edition recently decided to take a new approach with their local coverage. Read more

Dec

How Sustainable Transport Systems are Gaining Momentum in Cali, Colombia

Categories: Latin America, Transport

Tags: cali, cc

Comments: No

by Andrés Jara-Moreno

Since Cali's Bus Rapid Transit system opened in 2009, public transport has become more efficient and enjoyable for travellers in Colombia's third-largest city. And further developments are underway to make the city more liveable for citizens and visitors. Read more

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