Latin America and the Caribbean cities are the development engine of the region. Home to almost eighty percent of all residents, they serve as the base for government institutions and are home to an immense number of cultural assets and productive activities. Because of this great concentration of people and resources, negative impacts on cities’ well-being have serious … [Read more...] about Cities on the Brink: How to Protect Latin America from Extreme Heat and Wildfires
Nora Libertun
Nora Libertun de Duren leads the research and knowledge agenda on housing and urban development at the Inter-American Development Bank and is a faculty member at Harvard Extension School. Previously, she served as the Director of Planning and Natural Resources for New York City and has taught urban planning and international development at universities including NYU, Columbia University, and the University of Buenos Aires. Nora holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from MIT, awarded with honors, a Master's in Urban Design from Harvard University through a Fulbright Scholarship, and received the first prize for her Master's in Architecture from the University of Buenos Aires.
Informal Neighborhoods: The Dual Problem of Natural Disasters and Environmental Pollution
One in five urban households in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) lives in an informal settlement, and two-thirds of people migrating to LAC urban areas settle in these neighborhoods (Inter-American Development Bank, 2021). These residents often have low and unstable incomes, with households led by women, Indigenous people, Afro-descendants, and people with disabilities … [Read more...] about Informal Neighborhoods: The Dual Problem of Natural Disasters and Environmental Pollution
How can cities mitigate the impacts of climate change?: green and gray infrastructure
Climate change is no longer an abstract concept but a current challenge in our cities. As we analyzed in the previous article of this series, the rise in average temperatures and intense heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and floods are some of the extreme weather phenomena that increasingly affect densely populated urban centers. What can cities in Latin America and the … [Read more...] about How can cities mitigate the impacts of climate change?: green and gray infrastructure
How will climate change impact cities in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Something as ordinary and pleasant as walking on the street on a summer day could become a risky activity in many cities around the world. The reason? Everything suggests that if we don't act quickly, our cities will become too hot to allow it. Consequently, this will negatively impact the productivity of our municipalities, the quality of life of those who reside in them, and … [Read more...] about How will climate change impact cities in Latin America and the Caribbean?
How will the cities of Latin America and the Caribbean grow?
Cities are the engines of economic and social development; home of the majority of the world’s population, and host of most of economic activities, cultural assets, and institutions. Therefore, the future of cities is decisive for the future of our planet. In other words, properly caring for, adapting, managing, and planning cities is essential to achieve international … [Read more...] about How will the cities of Latin America and the Caribbean grow?