Central and South America

This piece from Shareable looks at the urban work of Enrique Penalosa and how it emphasizes the importance of happiness in cities.

March 4, 2010 - Shareable

Chile's 8.5 earthquake resulted in a significantly lower death toll than the recent quake in Haiti. Partly it was the location of the epicenter, but strict building codes played a part as well.

March 2, 2010 - The Infrastructurist

This article from The Prospect looks at slums and squatter cities. Author Stewart Brand, editor of the Whole Earth Catalog, calls them "unexpectedly green".

February 24, 2010 - Prospect

A small city outside of Bogota, Colombia, has been overrun by stray dogs. With more than 30,000 strays on the streets, the city's mayor is calling for them to be killed.

February 19, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

The abandoned infrastructure for an inner-city rail project in Lima, Peru, has been adapted into a playful amusement park.

February 18, 2010 - Treehugger

Due to its pounding beat and often sexual themes, funk music has been banned from Carnival by the mayor of a small Brazilian town.

February 12, 2010 - Reuters

The Brazilian government has approved a new hydroelectric dam in the Amazon. Many locals and environmentalists are fuming.

February 5, 2010 - Guardian

Haiti's official seismologist predicted the earthquake, and says the capital is in a high-risk zone for future quakes. With funds coming in to rebuild, the decision is pressing.

February 3, 2010 - Spiegel International

Architect and urban designer Hector Fernando Burga looks at Haiti through the lens of a Haitian enclave in Miami and wonders what role designers can play in the devastated country's revival.

February 2, 2010 - Places

More than a million Haitians have fled the capital city of Port-au-Prince, and government officials are advising them to stay out of the city. But many question if these provincial cities will be able to provide jobs and economic opportunities.

January 30, 2010 - The Christian Science Monitor

This piece from Utne Reader looks at the role of architecture in the public works projects of Medellin, Colombia, a city that has struggled with severe crime.

January 30, 2010 - Utne Reader

With the devastation in Haiti fresh in mind, Good's Alissa Walker takes a look at the growing practice of sharing design ideas.

January 28, 2010 - Good

Every day since the earthquake that shattered Haiti earlier this month, a group of 50 planners, architects and developers have met to brainstorm and strategize the rebuilding of their country.

January 27, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Raymond Joseph, Haitian ambassador to the U.S., sees the opportunity to build a smaller, better city from the ruins.

January 25, 2010 - The Seattle Times

Haitians are moving back out into the countryside after the Capital city of Port-au-Prince suffered devastation from a series of earthquakes this month. Some argue the move back to the country may be a good thing for Haiti.

January 22, 2010 - The New York Times

This episode of DnA wonders whether design and architecture will be able to help Haiti revive itself.

January 20, 2010 - KCRW

With Haiti's capital city in ruins, and emergency response still underway, rebuilding efforts are a ways off. But the rebuilding following recent disasters may provide guidance, writes Mark MacKinnon.

January 18, 2010 - Globe and Mail

In this paper, Gustavo Rivera Jr. (Ph. D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago) evaluates the economic and sociocultural impact of recently developed public housing estates within the favelas of Belo Horizonte.

January 18, 2010 - The Urban Reinventors Online Urban Journal

CNN reports that a lack of building codes and the construction of vulnerable informal settlements may have contributed to the high death toll in Haiti's earthquake.

January 14, 2010 - CNN

This article looks at the influence of the bus rapid transit system of Curitiba, Brazil, and how it is becoming a major aspect of urban design in other Latin American cities.

December 22, 2009 - Brazzil Magazine