Central and South America

The city of Santiago, Chile offers a cautionary tale for cities amidst a biking boom that don’t rethink the mode balance on their streets: there’s nowhere for bikers to go except the sidewalk.

April 20, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

Markets are important commercial and cultural spaces throughout South America, in small villages and big cities. The market landscape in South America is diverse, but thriving markets share a number of common characteristics across the continent.

April 18, 2014 - Julie Flynn

Historically, central markets served as grand social and commercial hubs for U.S. cities. A period of 20th century decline interrupted the evolution of markets, but creative and diverse examples have precipitated a recovery around the country.

March 25, 2014 - The Street Plans Collaborative

Lessons from a successful urban farming effort can be applied to achieve resource independence aside from just food.

March 22, 2014 - Architectural Review

Since 1990, around half of Brazil's largest cities have adopted participatory budgeting. A new study finds the experiment has had positive impacts on health and quality of life. With more countries adopting the practice, the results are encouraging.

January 27, 2014 - The Washington Post

For those of you who thought the recent shuttering of Sydney's monorail symbolized the general decline of the once-futuristic transit mode–think again! Sao Paulo is set to open a new 17-mile line, the first segment of a monorail-based transit system.

January 24, 2014 - Wired

To meet demand from passengers seeking an alternative to San Diego's small airport, and circumvent the traffic crunch at two nearby border crossings, Tijuana's international airport will provide direct access from the United States.

January 21, 2014 - The New York Times

A new documentary from Streetfilms explores how open streets events–which repurpose public spaces for people, rather than vehicles–have grown over the past several decades throughout South and North America.

January 12, 2014 - Streetfilms

Mexico is poised to allow foreign investment in its state-owned oil company, Pemex, for the first time in 75 years. In Venezuela, home to the world's cheapest gasoline, prices are due to skyrocket if President Maduro ends subsidies as he's indicated.

January 5, 2014 - BBC News

A move by Mexico City's mayor to raise fares for the city's run-down, but essential, subway system by 66 percent has sparked a protest movement.

January 1, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Medellín's spectacular holiday lights display draws thousands of tourists to Colombia's second-largest city every year. Few visitors are likely to realize that the energy intensive displays are carbon neutral.

December 25, 2013 - Next City

Technology company Ericsson has published its 2013 list of the world's cities with the best information and communications technology (ICT) networks, but there are also good things happening in the cities with the least developed networks.

November 29, 2013 - Future Cities

One of Brazil's most prosperous cities is experiencing a highly visible decline in the quality of life for many residents. Rising crime, stalled infrastructure projects, and general dissatisfaction are turning Salvador into a “failed city”.

November 12, 2013 - The New York Times

A team of Canadian MBA students has won $1 million to alleviate urban hunger with insect-based foods, reports Mary Jander.

September 29, 2013 - Future Cities

Natural disasters affect millions of people each year, and cost between $60 billion and $100 billion worldwide. Here are the 10 global cities most at risk.

September 25, 2013 - Future Cities

Though 78 percent of Mexico’s population is urban, for the past three decades it's been importing a disastrous development pattern from its northern neighbor - urban sprawl. A new set of institutions and policies are aimed at reversing the trend.

September 13, 2013 - The City Fix

Brasilia’s new soccer stadium, the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia Mane Garrincha, is on track to become the world’s first LEED Platinum-certified FIFA World Cup arena. It's also seen as a symbol of the country's over-investment in sporting events.

July 29, 2013 - Green Source

Sure, we were pulled in by the article's provocative title, but we'd have to agree that under the arched canopy of Tipuana trees along Porto Alegre's Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho can be found one of the most wondrous and unique urban streets in the world.

July 10, 2013 - Inhabitat

The mass protests that have swept through Brazilian cities over the past week where sparked by planned bus fare increases, but quickly expanded to encompass a variety of complaints. Will the protests end now that fares have been lowered?

June 20, 2013 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

'Unruly' protests by residents opposed to planned hikes in the cost of bus fares have shaken Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the past week. The country has a history of transit fare protests going back 130 years.

June 16, 2013 - The New York Times