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The mega-city in Latin America


Table of contents


Edited by
Alan Gilbert

United Nations University Press
TOKYO - NEW YORK - PARIS

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© The United Nations University, 1996

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations University.

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UNUP-935
ISBN 92-808-0935-0
03000 P


Contents


Foreword

Preface

1. The Latin American mega-city: An introduction

What is a mega-city?
Are mega-cities different from smaller cities?
Should anything be done to slow down the growth of Latin America's big cities?
The future for Latin America's cities
Structure of the book
References

2 Demographic trends in Latin America's metropolises, 1950-1990

Changing patterns of metropolitan growth
Causes of demographic change
The spatial pattern of metropolitan growth
The future of the Latin American metropolis
Notes
References

3. Contemporary issues in the government and administration of Latin American mega-cities

Introduction
Emerging imperatives for the 1990s
Structures of city government
Structures of government in Latin America's major cities
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Notes
References

4. Land, housing, and infrastructure in Latin America's major cities

Housing conditions
The price of land
Residential segregation
Population density
The changing shape of the city
Conclusion
Notes
References

5. A hundred million journeys a day: The management of transport in Latin America's mega-cities

Urban growth and the evolution of transport systems
Institutional problems
Recent developments in the transport systems of the five cities
Do mega-cities have special transport problems?
Conclusion
Notes
References

6. Buenos Aires: A case of deepening social polarization

Population growth and structure
The urban economy
Income distribution
Living standards
Urban administration
Service provision
Population density and land-use structure
The environment
Conclusions
Notes
References

7. Lima: mega-city and mega-problem

The origins of lima's problems
Demographic growth
Employment and poverty
Housing
Infrastructure and services
Transport
Crime, violence, and terrorism
Urban management
Towards a more participative, denser, and more polycentric metropolis
Notes
References

8. Mexico City: No longer a leviathan?

Introduction
The Mexican urban structure: the roots of centralism
The debt crisis and its aftermath
Mexico City's changing urban structure
Administration and finance
Current issues and policy approaches
Conclusions
Notes
References

9. Rio de Janeiro: Urban expansion and structural change

Introduction
Population growth
Employment
Poverty and the distribution of income
Housing and infrastructure
Health and education
Transport
Pollution and environmental policies
Crime
Emerging issues for the coming decade
Acknowledgements
Notes
References

10. São Paulo: A growth process full of contradictions

Development of a metropolis
Metropolitan involution
Quality of life in the state of São Paulo
Metropolitan problems
Public administration
The future
Notes
References

11. Santa Fé de Bogotá: A Latin American special case?

Introduction
Population and demographic structure
Bogotá's national role
The economy
Employment
Poverty and social indicators
The shape of the city
Housing
Public services
The city's principal problems
Administration of the city
The future
Notes
References

Contributors

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