Central and South America

Central and South America

New Haitian President Faces Major Rebuilding Challenges

Michel Martelly is the newly elected president of Haiti. He faces the large challenge of rebuilding much of the country's population center, which was devastated by an earthquake in January 2010.

May 4, 2011 - Architectural Record

Infrastructure Lags as Brazil Prepares to Host 2014 World Cup

Infrastructure projects are lagging in Brazil, which is causing some to worry that the country won't be ready to host the 2014 World Cup.

April 29, 2011 - The National

Striking Architecture for the Poor

That was former Medellin, Columbia mayor Sergio Fajardo's plan to rebuild his city, an idea that turned out to be transformational.

April 27, 2011 - Foreign Policy

Starting Small in Haiti's Recovery

Port-au-Prince, the devastated capital of Haiti, is far from recovery. But as it and the rest of the country tries to rebound, some are thinking creatively about how best to rebuild the city's center.

March 14, 2011 - Citiwire

Latin America’s Bus Rapid Transit Boom Offers Lessons for the U.S.

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is often the most feasible, quickly implemented and cost-effective way to improve mobility in the United States, concluded a distinguished panel of transport experts at a Brookings Institution event.

March 14, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Juggling Concerns as Amazon Dam Nears Reality

As plans to build a major dam on the Amazon River edge closer to breaking ground, locals in nearby communities worry about the inevitable changes to come.

March 12, 2011 - Smithsonian Magazine

Photographic Legacies of Brasilia and Chandigarh

A new book of photography compares the legacies of two modernist cities: Brasilia and Chandigarh.

March 10, 2011 - Azure

BRT Lessons From Latin America

An event held at The Brookings Institution invited transit experts to discuss the lessons learned from BRT systems in Latin America and their applicability in the United States.

March 9, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

New Overhead Transit System Opens in Brazilian Slum

A new gondola cable car system is opening in a Rio de Janeiro slum to improve accessibility.

March 5, 2011 - Wired

Squatters Dominate Caracas Tower Amid Housing Shortage

As housing costs rise and supplies dwindle in Caracas, more than 2500 squatters have occupied a downtown skyscraper.

March 2, 2011 - The New York Times

Rio de Janeiro Residents Protest Olympics Projects

As the city of Rio de Janeiro prepares to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, residents there say many of the projects underway are violating their rights.

February 26, 2011 - The Globe and Mail

Rio Begins Work on Massive Port Renovation

Ahead of the 2016 Olympics, the host city of Rio de Janeiro is embarking on a massive redevelopment plan in its decaying port area.

February 21, 2011 - Xinhua

Treetop-Oriented Development

Finca Bellavista is a development on the southern coast of Costa Rica with 5 houses and 24 other buildings, all sustainable treehouse structures.

February 20, 2011 - Builder Magazine

Brazil Inundated by Poor Planning Practices

While Brazil sits underwater due to heavy rains, an even greater political problem persists.

February 3, 2011 - The Guardian

Transportation at a Standstill in Cuba

Many Cubans encounter difficulties in traveling throughout Havana as well as the entire country.

February 3, 2011 - The Huffington Post

Urban Villages to Rise from the Rubble of Haiti

Haitian government hires planners who propose a better urban environment than existed prior to the devastating earthquake.

January 27, 2011 - New Urban Network

Questioning a Floating City for Haiti

A floating city has been proposed to help ease some of the problems being faced by earthquake-damaged Haiti. But is this the answer the struggling country needs?

January 9, 2011 - The City Fix

Revitalizing Cuba From Within

Julio César Pérez is a Cuban architect and urban planner. An art gallery is showing examples of his work, a perfect occasion to reflect back on what matters in architecture and planning, and lay out his vision for the future of Cuba.

January 7, 2011 - Cuban Art News

Rio's New Citywide Control Room

IBM is partnering with the city of Rio de Janeiro to build a massive "citywide control room" to monitor and respond to emergencies.

December 28, 2010 - Fast Company

Bogota's TransMilenio Turns 10

Bogota's integrated mass transit system has been operation for a decade and continues to grow, but faces challenges for the coming years, from the constant growth in ridership to irregularities in construction contracts.

December 23, 2010 - TheCityFix

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.