Vivir en el "centro"; Vivienda e Inquilinato en los Barrios Céntricos de las Metrópolis de América Latina

THIS BOOK EXAMINES the issues and problems facing low-income groups living in city centres in Latin America. Until recently, attention tended to focus on low-income settlements on the outskirts of cities, with the result that the importance of the city centre as a living environment for the poor tends to have been under-researched. This book looks at rented accommodation, the state of the housing market and quality of life for central city tenants. It considers the causes, effects and interrelations which characterize urban development and spatial and socioeconomic structures, as well as the social and physical problems of central city tenants.

Most of the volume is in-depth case studies, of which the three principal ones are Lima, Havana and Rio de Janeiro. A detailed historical background and description of each city is given, and parallels and contrasts are drawn between them. In many ways the cities are very dissimilar. For example, Lima is undergoing an economic crisis and its centre is very unlike the dynamic business and enterprise centre of Rio, whilst Havana, under a socialist regime, has no formal housing market or urban renewal schemes. However, by examining the histories and development of the housing market, comparisons and similarities also emerge.

Following these three core case studies, there are various articles which consider the housing market in the city centres of Panama, Caracas, Montevideo, Santiago de Chile and Sao Paulo. These cases are intended to give a fuller representation of the rental problems in city centres throughout Latin America. The book concludes by stressing the need for consistent renovation and renewal policies (currently lacking in virtually all city centres), and for professionals and specialists who are dedicated specifically to this task. Based on the research, the authors claim that overcrowding is a common problem in rented accommodation in city centres, and conflicts of interest impede the development of these rented areas. Finally, they conclude that, in the development of the housing market, planned state intervention is necessary at the legislative, planning and implementation level.