THIS BOOK, IN Spanish, examines urban policy and management in the city of Buenos Aires. The author suggests that it is a city that does not adequately satisfy the needs of the population and he argues that this is the result of a long process which has transformed a small village into an international metropolitan area with 11 million inhabitants in 1991.

The city is characterized by great inequalities and segregation, problems not only caused by the globalization of the economy but also by processes at a more local level. The author suggests that there is a lack of coherent policies for the effective urban management of the city. In his analysis of the city's urban policy, Pirez examines the geographical composition of Buenos Aires, its government and management, the management of service provision, financial and budgetary aspects, political relationships within the city and the main social actors. The evaluation of these topics covers a time span of 60 years, beginning in the 1930s through to the early 1990s, and makes use of two different analytical methods. First, the study uses predominantly theoretical global analyses which identify the salient trends. In addition, case studies are provided to illustrate local realities.