Desafiando a la Ciudad Letrada. Formas antagonistas de urbanismo en América Latina

The book subtly demonstrates the nature of coloniality of Latin American cities; The essay has two moments (fragments), which allow them to be addressed interchangeably; in fact, this reflection begins at the end. In this second fragment, the author establishes a clear objective, to reveal the submissive and functional position in the face of a “Western” urban theory, which is assumed as absolute truth by the Latin American community; questioning the position of resistance, rebellious and even innovative of the Latin American architect as a “social bandit” who does nothing more than reaffirm a socio-spatial production with unquestionable neoliberal interests and visions. In this context, the way of thinking and understanding the city brings with it at least two consequences that have a decisive weight in the construction of the contemporary Latin American city. This book does not present conclusive results or complex methodologies to understand the Latin American city, rather it poses a challenge and identifies the tip of the ball, which allows the construction of a clearly alternative urban discourse. Those of us who make up the research group of the Architecture and Urban Planning program at the Catholic University of Cuenca assume this responsibility and are currently carrying out several research projects that point in this direction.