Argentina - History

Buenos Aires Global Dreams, Local Crises

Name: Buenos Aires Global Dreams, Local Crises
Author: David J. Keeling
ISBN: 9780471949350

by David J. Keeling

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Overview

Buenos Aires is a city of fascinating contrasts. The most southerly of the world's great metropolises, it dominates the Argentine urban system, but is relatively isolated from the rest of Latin America and the global economic and political system. The archetypal elegance and sophistication of the Paris of the South is set against the problem of poor housing, social deprivation, and suburban sprawl. As Argentina struggles to maintain a democracy, the future stability of the region depends on how this vital, varied, and vulnerable city comes to terms with the need to restructure in the face of economic, environmental, and demographic crises. The book begins with an overview of the city's four-hundred-year history which forms the basis for an examination of the contemporary urban landscape. This leads to an analysis of local politics in relation to planning and housing policies which is followed by a consideration of changes in the city's economic structures and an examination of Buenos Aires' national, regional and global transport links. The book then turns to a detailed look at the city's green spaces, environmental problems, and health care systems.

About the Author, David J. Keeling

David J. Keeling

Western Kentucky University, USA

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Editorials

Booknews

Buenos Aires, "the Paris of the South," is a city of elegance and poverty struggling to come to terms with a number of economic, environmental, and demographic crises. Keeling (Western Kentucky U.) overviews the city's four hundred year history which brings him to an analysis of its current landscape and the role of local politics in relation to planning and housing decisions, as well as a consideration of the economic changes affecting Buenos Aire's transport links, urban transport networks, environmental quality, and health care system. The author's commentary on the cultural geography of the city makes an interesting excursion into the heart of a traditionally European acting overclass facing a future of "Latin-Americanization." Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.