Book Review: Latin American Urban Development into the 21st Century: Towards a Renewed Perspective on the City

Abstract

This book is both interesting and frustrating, although more the former than the latter. On one hand, the main argument of the editors is important and most of the individual chapters offer much in the way of new insights, new data and new methodologies. On the other hand, the individual chapters do not offer clear support for the editors� main argument, nor do they connect very well to each other. Thus, while readers will surely learn a lot about specific issues in individual Latin American cities, what they take away regarding Latin American urban development overall is less clear. The editors of Latin American Urban Development into the 21st Century justify the new volume as needed to counter what they consider to be the dominant approach to Latin American cities. In the introductory and concluding chapters, they characterise the currently prevailing approach as one that: views cities as divided; examines parts and processes of cities in isolation from one another; privileges a decontextualised and negative vision of shantytowns, informality and cities in general; and leads to limited, fragmented urban development policies. By contrast, their �renewed perspective� is a holistic approach that calls for analysing cities more systemically, such that geographic and sectoral connections can be revealed and local public policy can better address the problems facing Latin American cities such as crime, inequality and segregation, and inadequate infrastructure and services. The editors� brief against the �fractured cities� perspective rings true, and their alternative �whole cities� approach appears compelling. However, the chapters in the rest of the book � organised in two parts under the headings of �Reconceptualizing urban fragmentation� and �