Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000000080568 | HD7287.96L29G45 1985 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
Originally published in 1985, this book is concerned with the housing and service needs of the poor in Latin America and how they are articulated and satisfied. It examines the aims and implementation of government policies towards low-income housing dwellers and tries to relate those policies to the wider interests of the state. It discusses how the poor perceive the constraints on barrio servicing and improvement, their involvement in community organisations and the role the community and its leaders play in influencing state action. Since housing and servicing issues directly impinge on the interests of politicians, bureaucrats, landowners and real-estate developers, as well as on those of the poor, patterns of provision mirror closely the nature of the relationships between the poor and the wider urban society. The main theme of this book is thus the allocation of resources within urban society and the operation of political and administrative power at city level. The book will interest not only those concerned with housing and planning but also those who wish to understand social and economic policies towards the poor in most kinds of Third World city.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
The result of an extended survey, this book deals with ``illegal'' settlements in the cities of Bogota, Mexico City, and Valencia (Venezuela). Particular attention is paid to methods by which land was occupied and how illegal seizures were ultimately legalized; the degree to which public services-particularly water, sewers, and electricity-were obtained (or not obtained); the kind of leadership in the settlements and its contacts with power centers outside the communities; and the degree to which efforts were made by the communities to develop the settlements by themselves. The authors (University of London) stress similarities among the three cities, such as encouragement of illegal settlement by elements outside the communities involved; efforts of the government authorities to channel and control community organization in the settlements; and the tendency of illegally seized land more or less quickly to become subject to market forces. They also discuss differences arising from the varying political systems and social situations in Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. In a closing ``technical'' discussion, the authors state the need for comparative studies such as this one, suggest areas for further research, and explain in considerable detail the research techniques that they used. Of interest both to Latin Americanists and to those scholars interested in economic development, problems of poverty, and housing. Upper-division undergraduate and graduate collections.-R.J. Alexander, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus
Table of Contents
| 1 Introduction: the research issues and strategy |
| 2 Bogota, Mexico City and Valencia: the social, economic and political backcloth |
| 3 Access to land |
| 4 Servicing low-income settlements |
| 5 Community organisation: participation or social control? |
| 6 Conclusions |
| Appendices |
| Notes |
| Bibliography |
| Indexes |
