First Published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book may seem a simple accumulation of twenty-one public space projects in eight Latin American cities. On closer inspection, the presentation of project descriptions, photographs, and annotated drawings reflects a concern to analytically explain the operative aspects at work. The publication is not intended to serve only as a catalogue, guide, or manual on how to produce public space in spontaneous settlements. Rather, it goes beyond the aims of an index of best practices. It is intended, instead, as an empirical base for a critical and theoretical engagement with the problematic of development, social inclusion, public investment, (in)formal settlement, civil society and the public sphere. The publication achieves its final function at this third level, by providing a compelling argument to expand the agency of architects and urban designers and creatively find ways of justifying, financing, and building public spaces in communities —spaces that have a catalytic effectiveness in achieving significant urban and social transformation. This book was awarded by a Graham Foundation Grant and CAF Development Bank of Latin America. FEATURED CASE STUDIES: CONSERVATION 72 Linear parks along the Estero Salado | Guayaquil, Ecuador 80 National Park Babil.nia and Chap.u Mangueira | R.o de Janeiro, Brasil 88 Urban agriculture along the Rimac River | Lima, Peru WASTE MANAGEMENT 96 Moravia Ecological Park | Medellin, Colombia 104 Plaza La Cruz, La Palomera | Caracas, Venezuela RISKMANAGEMENT 112 El Guasmo Beach, floodable park | Guayaquil, Ecuador 120 Safety plazas in Santa Mar.a El Triunfo | Lima, Peru 128 Recovery of the Juan Bobo Creek | Medellin, Colombia INFRASTRUCTURE 136 Northeast metrocable parks Comuna 1, La Popular | Medell.n, Colombia 144 Barrio Las Independencias escalators and walkways | Medellin, Colombia 152 Funicular in Dona Marta | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 160 Complexo do Alem.o | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 168 Ecotecnia Urbana Miravalle | Mexico City, Mexico PAVEMENT, PATHS AND THE SPACE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS 176 Pavement, paths and stairs Cerro Santo Doming and Cerro Toro | Valpara.so, Chile 184 Cerro Santa Ana urban rehabilitation | Guayaquil, Ecuador 192 Fernando Botero Library | Medellin, Colombia 200 Moravia Cultural Center | Medellin, Colombia 208 Espa.o Crian.a and community programs | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 216 Plaza in Villa Tranquila | Buenos Aires, Argentina ACTIVITY 224 Casa Kolacho Comuna 13 | Medellin, Colombia 232 AfroReggae Cultural Center | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 240 Alto Per. | Lima, Peru 248 El Calvario Puertas Abiertas | Caracas, Venezuela

For the first time in human history, more than half the world’s population is urban. A fundamental aspect of this transformation has been the emergence of giant cities, or megacities, that present major new challenges. This book examines how issues of megacity development, urban form, sustainability, and unsustainability are conceived, how governance processes are influenced by these ideas, and how these processes have in turn influenced outcomes on the ground, in some cases in transformative ways. Through 15 in-depth case studies by prominent researchers from around the world, this book examines the major challenges facing megacities today. The studies are organized around a shared set of concerns and questions about issues of sustainability, land development, urban governance, and urban form. Some of the main questions addressed are: What are the most pressing issues of sustainability and urban form in each megacity? How are major issues of sustainability understood and framed by policymakers? Is urban form considered a significant component of sustainability issues in public debates and public policy? Who are the key actors framing urban sustainability challenges and shaping urban change? How is unsustainability, risk, or disaster imagined, and how are those concerns reflected in policy approaches? What has been achieved so far, and what challenges remain? The publication of this book is a step toward answering these and other crucial questions.