Central and South America

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.

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, planners are challenged with untangling traffic jams that stretch for over 120 miles.

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.

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.

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.

During the last decade, bus rapid transit (BRT) has revolutionized regional transportation planning in much of the developing and developed world.

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.

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.

This report from NPR looks at how climate change may affect the future of the Panama Canal.

What may be the oldest urban site in the world has been unearthed in Peru.

Retirees are increasingly moving to Central and South America to retire and take advantage of economies where the dollar retains some strength.

Classified by Nicaragua's government as a "Autonomous Area", the town of Bluefields, population 50,000, has an official unemployment rate of 85%. The primary industry is finding abandoned bags of cocaine that drift in from the sea.

This video from Streetfilms shows and explains the workings of Bogota, Colombia's bus rapid transit system -- one of the world's most highly regarded systems.

The new public transit system in Santiago, Chile, is having implementation troubles, and it's leaving many commuters upset.

At the current rate of infrastructure spending for sewer construction and other sanitation measures, there won't be universal access to sanitation in Brazil fore more than 115 years.

Every Sunday from 7am to 2pm, up to 2 million residents of Bogotá, Colombia enjoy over 70 miles of car-free streets. The event is called Ciclovía. StreetFilms brings you along for the ride.

President Hugo Chávez is guiding government plans to create several brand new cities to serve as models of social and environmental harmony.

Take a tour inside what may be the skinniest house ever built -- the bite-sized answer to the McMansion.

Bogotá, Colombia has made significant efforts to integrate bicycling facilities into its TransMilenio Bus Rapid Transit system. The New York City Streets Renaissance team was there to learn more and take a look.

Belo Horizonte is by no means a well-known city from the South American country of Brazil. But with more than 12,000 bars, the city is gaining notoriety as one of the world's best places to drink.