Central and South America
Rio's "Eco Barrier" Draws Fire
Plans to erect a concrete "eco barrier" around Rio's slum areas being heavily criticized by human rights activists and environmentalists.
Guardian (UK)
Cuba Serves As Model For Urban Farming
With urban farms sprinkled throughout the island, Cuba is proving to be one of the world's most successful models of how to integrate agriculture into urban areas.
Reuters
Architects Still Find Work in Latin America
A South American building boom can be credited for the steady demand for projects by American architecture firms.
Architectural Record
Tree Fungus In Your Tank
An organism discovered in the Patagonian rainforest produces a mixture of chemicals similar to diesel.
Guardian.co.uk
LA to TJ 2008 Mobile Conference: Moving Goods, People and Ideas
On the first day of summer, Saturday, June 21, 2008, sixty urban planners, environmentalists, public health experts, artists, and community activists boarded Amtrak’s Surfliner at Union Station to participate in a day long mobile conference between the cities of Los Angeles, CA and Tijuana, Baja California.
Shifting Sands
Demand for hotel construction in the Caribbean is fueling the destruction of sandy beaches, which are being hauled away by the truckload.
The Globe and Mail
Three Oil Producing Nations Impacted By Oil Price Plunge
Plunging oil prices are hitting three oil-producing countries the hardest: Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. This article looks at each of them and evaluates how they will fare if oil prices do not rise, including their relationships to the U.S.
The New York Times
Amazon Dam Project Moves Ahead
As construction begins on two large dams in the Amazon, thousands of indigenous people grapple with the prospect of the coming flood and the loss of their land, while environmentalists continue to oppose the construction.
The Washington Post
Preserving Historic Centers and Local Populations
The historic centers and plazas of Latin American cities are often viewed as prime prospects for preservation in the hopes of increasing tourism. Often this preservation has a negative affect on locals, but things are beginning to change.
Land Lines, Lincoln Institute Of Land Policy
Removing Cars to Create Public Space
Cars dominate cities, especially in America. But as many cities in other countries have found, removing cars can turn busy streets into lively public places. Now the U.S. is starting to catch on.
Nature Gains Constitutional Rights in Ecuador
A new constitution has been approved in Ecuador, and among its amendments are specific articles that grant inalienable rights to nature.
The New York Times
Former London Mayor to Advise Caracas
In an agreement with fellow socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, former London Mayor Ken Livingstone has accepted a position in Caracas to advise the city on improving its transportation and crime issues.
The Guardian
Ancient Cities Found in the Amazon
Anthropologists have discovered traces of highly organized and gridded cities in the Amazon rainforest dating back to the 1200s.
National Geographic
Aztecs Were Early Urban Gardeners
Urban gardening is spreading to Mexico City, resurrecting an ancient history of growing produce in the city.
The Christian Science Monitor
Can the Colombian Renaissance Be Sustained?
Globalization has spurned a renaissance in the formerly crime-ridden Colombian city of Medellin. But some worry that the city's improvements may only be temporary.
The Washington Post
Seizing Cattle to Fight Deforestation
As part of a new strategy to prevent deforestation in the Amazon, government officials in Brazil have begun seizing livestock that graze on illegal ranches.
The New York Times
Urban Farms Create Flow of Food and Cash in Cuba
Urban farms in Cuba have proven successful at feeding the country and providing hundreds of thousands of jobs.
International Herald Tribune
Mapping Needed to Improve Slums
Understanding and improving the Brazilian informal settlements known as favelas will require more information about the slums -- especially in the field of mapping.
Harvard Design Magazine
'They Want to Make a Dam, and Now They Know They Shouldn't'
A group of Indians from the Amazon attacked a government engineer at a recent meeting where he was discussing a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River that could displace 15,000 indigenous people and destroy traditional fishing grounds.
Associated Press via National Geographic
A City Devoid Of Billboards
Under a bold plan from the city's Mayor, the 11 million residents of Sao Paulo, Brazil, are enjoying a city free from outdoor advertising.
Ode Magazine











