Central and South America
Central and South America
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.
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.
Aztecs Were Early Urban Gardeners
Urban gardening is spreading to Mexico City, resurrecting an ancient history of growing produce in the city.
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.
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.
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.
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.
'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.
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.
Saving and Improving Slums
This article from the Harvard Design Magazine looks at slums in Latin America and discusses the important role they play in their cities. Preserving the positive qualities of these communities is increasingly preferred over slum clearance.
Argentina To Build High-Speed Rail Line
The first high-speed train in the Americas -- which will be built by a consortium led by France's Alstom -- will cut travel times between Buenos Aires and cities of Rosario and Córdoba by more than two-thirds.
Tackling Traffic In A City Of 11 Million
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, planners are challenged with untangling traffic jams that stretch for over 120 miles.
How Drugs Kill Forests
Drug traffickers, growers and drug law enforcement agents are wreaking havok on the forests of Central America, where large plots of forest are clear-cut for drug crop growing and sprayed to eliminate illicit substances.
Chavez Seeks Shangri-La with 'Socialist Cities'
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is pushing plans to create "21st century socialist cities" -- communities based on public participation and cooperation -- juxtaposed next to fiercely capitalist developments in the rest of the country.
Seeing the Forest for the Trees
A groundbreaking deal recognizing the economic value of intact forests will not only preserve a million acres of rainforest in Guyana but establish a precedent for future such arrangements.
Land Value Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit: The Case of Bogotá’s TransMilenio
During the last decade, bus rapid transit (BRT) has revolutionized regional transportation planning in much of the developing and developed world.
Planning in Venezuela's Communal Councils
This article from Progressive Planning looks at the communal councils being set up in Venezuela and the progress they have made in local planning efforts.
Prince's Foundation Hopes to Salvage Kingston Ghetto
Crippling violence and dangerous streets in the Rose Town area of Kingston, Jamaica, have motivated Prince Charles to bring his Foundation for Architecture and Urbanism to the island ghetto to attempt a rebirth.
Changing Climate May Complicate Panama Canal Operations
This report from NPR looks at how climate change may affect the future of the Panama Canal.
'Oldest Urban Site' Unearthed
What may be the oldest urban site in the world has been unearthed in Peru.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
