Central and South America

Central and South America

Most Successful Bus Rapid Transit Stalls Out

Bogota, Columbia's TransMilenio bus rapid transit system has been widely praised and imitated around the world. However, many consider the successful bus system to be suffering from its own success.

July 16, 2011 - www.TheCityFix.com

Brazil to Receive Billions for Mobility Ahead of World Cup

The cities hosting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil have been awarded an infusion of $6 billion from the Inter-American Development Bank to fund urban mobility and other efforts ahead of the event.

July 13, 2011 - The City Fix

Sustainable Practices Find a Home in the Americas

Whether in Cupertino, Calif. or Curitiba, Brazil, cities are starting an aggressive move toward sustainability in the Americas. In this evolution, technology, citizen involvement and innovation will play a role transforming cities, Leon Kaye writes.

July 5, 2011 - Guardian

Brazil Hopes to Limit Sports Bodies' Powers Ahead of Mega Events

As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, officials are pushing a new law that would limit the powers of the international bodies behind the two major sporting events.

July 1, 2011 - The New York Times

Sao Paulo Plans Monorail

Sao Paulo, Brazil has awarded a contract to build a new monorail system connecting the airport to the city's transit system.

June 30, 2011 - Smart Planet

A Neighborhood of Stairs

The La Independencia neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia sprawls up a hillside, leaving the inhabitants to walk up to 10 flights of stairs every day. An ambitious development program is considering building an outdoor network of escalators.

June 22, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Regularizing Informal Settlement in Latin America

June 20, 2011 - Gregory K. Ingram

The Disproportionate Influence of Cities in Countries Around World

At a recent conference on world cities, attendees from all over the world shared the impression that their cities do not receive enough respect from their national governments.

June 14, 2011 - Grist

Envisioning a Lush Mexico City

Two architects submit a plan to Mexico City planners that includes bringing the Río Piedad back to life and revitalizing the city with green public spaces along its waters.

June 3, 2011 - The New York Times

Argentina Gets Its First Bus Rapid Transit

Mauricio Macri, the mayor of Buenos Aires, inaugurated Argentina's first bus rapid transit system today, marking its first day of operation.

June 3, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

The Challenges of Legitimizing Informal Settlements

Informal settlements like slums and favelas have been perplexing governments in Latin America for decades. A new report looks at two of the ways governments are addressing these areas, and the challenges that remain.

June 1, 2011 - Citiwire

An Olympic Ghost Town in Rio de Janeiro

Preparations for the World Cup and Olympics are displacing hundreds of families in Rio de Janeiro. One neighborhood next to a major stadium has been turned into a ghost town.

May 21, 2011 - Guardian

Chilean Dam Project Approved Amid Controversy

A plan approved to build a $7 billion dam in Chile has some worried about the loss of land, but others excited about looming economic opportunities.

May 13, 2011 - The Washington Post

Mega-Events Take Toll on Brazil's Slum Dwellers

This op-ed from Al Jazeera looks at some of the negative ways preparations for the World Cup and Olympics are affecting the poor in Brazil.

May 12, 2011 - Al Jazeera

Stadium Renovation Prices out Brazil's Poor from its Most Revered Public Space

As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, renovations to the Maracana, an infamous soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro, are pricing out the city's poor. Some say the work is killing one of the city's few egalitarian public places.

May 6, 2011 - The New York Times

New Haitian President Faces Major Rebuilding Challenges

Michel Martelly is the newly elected president of Haiti. He faces the large challenge of rebuilding much of the country's population center, which was devastated by an earthquake in January 2010.

May 4, 2011 - Architectural Record

Infrastructure Lags as Brazil Prepares to Host 2014 World Cup

Infrastructure projects are lagging in Brazil, which is causing some to worry that the country won't be ready to host the 2014 World Cup.

April 29, 2011 - The National

Striking Architecture for the Poor

That was former Medellin, Columbia mayor Sergio Fajardo's plan to rebuild his city, an idea that turned out to be transformational.

April 27, 2011 - Foreign Policy

Starting Small in Haiti's Recovery

Port-au-Prince, the devastated capital of Haiti, is far from recovery. But as it and the rest of the country tries to rebound, some are thinking creatively about how best to rebuild the city's center.

March 14, 2011 - Citiwire

Latin America’s Bus Rapid Transit Boom Offers Lessons for the U.S.

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is often the most feasible, quickly implemented and cost-effective way to improve mobility in the United States, concluded a distinguished panel of transport experts at a Brookings Institution event.

March 14, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.