The widespread inequalities of economic opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean are a major concern for policymakers throughout the region. These inequalities are, in no small part, spatial. Where you live and where you work matters—often substantially—for your opportunities in life. Research is rapidly improving our understanding of … [Read more...] about How Residential Segregation Fuels Inequality, and What Can Be Done about It
The Young Fare Better with Covid-19. But in Latin America the Reality Is More Nuanced
The risk of dying from Covid-19 is significantly lower for young and middle-aged adults than for the elderly. The fact that Latin America’s population is younger relative to high-income regions would suggest that age-based prioritization of vaccine delivery, targeted confinement, and other policies targeting those most at risk of developing serious … [Read more...] about The Young Fare Better with Covid-19. But in Latin America the Reality Is More Nuanced
Where is Latin America and the Caribbean on the COVID-19 Curve?
As the first wave of COVID-19 infections advances across the globe, more data becomes available that can help us better understand where we are, how we arrived here, and what may be on the horizon. This blog post explores what widely available data can tell us about how the much-cited curve of infections has progressed in different regions, and where Latin American and … [Read more...] about Where is Latin America and the Caribbean on the COVID-19 Curve?
Big Data: New Opportunities and Challenges for Urban Research
Fifteen years ago, researchers were restricted to using surveys, censuses and basic administrative data when they examined cities and local policies. But those methods have real limitations. Surveys can be prohibitively expensive. Censuses may be out of date and administrative data often fail to represent the population as a whole. Today, we live in a radically different … [Read more...] about Big Data: New Opportunities and Challenges for Urban Research
Migration Can Shape Local Development Policies in Unexpected Ways
When Brazil's government decided in 1967 to create a free trade zone in Manaus, it had glittering visions of Amazonian development. Located at the meeting point of two tributaries of the Amazon river, the so-called "City of the Forest" had fallen on hard times since the end of the rubber boom nearly a century before. Generous reductions in import tariffs and other tax breaks, … [Read more...] about Migration Can Shape Local Development Policies in Unexpected Ways