Ordinary Places Extraordinary Events: Citizenship, Democracy and Public Space in Latin America (Planning, History and Environment Series)

Clara Irazábal and her contributors explore the urban history of some of Latin America’s great cities through studies of their public spaces and what has taken place there. The avenues and plazas of Mexico City, Havana, Santo Domingo, Caracas, Bogotaì, SaÞo Paulo, Lima, Santiago, and Buenos Aires have been the backdrop for extraordinary, history-making events. While some argue that public spaces are a prerequisite for the expression, representation and reinforcement of democracy, they can equally be used in the pursuit of totalitarianism. Indeed, public spaces, in both the past and present, have been the site for the contestation by ordinary people of various stances on democracy and citizenship. By exploring the use and meaning of public spaces in Latin American cities, this book sheds light on contemporary definitions of citizenship and democracy in the Americas. Prologue : Ordinary Places, Extraordinary Events In Latin America / Clara Irazábal -- Citizenship, Democracy, And Public Space In Latin America / Clara Irazábal -- Cities, Democracies And Powers -- Political Appropriation Of Public Space : Extraordinary Events In The Zócalo Of Mexico City / Sergio Tamayo And Xóchitl Cruz-guzmán -- Reinventing The Void : São Paulo's Museum Of Art And Public Life Along Avenida Paulista / Zeuler R. Lima And Vera M. Pallamin -- A Memorable Public Space : The Plaza Of The Central Station In Santiago De Chile / Rodrigo Vidal Rojas And Hans Fox Timmling -- Lima's Historic Centre : Old Places Shaping New Social Arrangements / Miriam Chion And Wiley Ludeña Urquizo -- The Plaza De Boløvar Of Bogotá : Uniqueness Of Place, Multiplicity Of Events / Alberto Saldarriaga Roa -- Place, Citizenship And Nationhood -- Space, Revolution And Resistance : Ordinary Places And Extraordinary Events In Caracas / Clara Irazábal And John Foley -- The Struggle For Urban Territories : Human Rights Activists In Buenos Aires / Susana Kaiser -- Iconic Voids And Social Identity In A Polycentric City : Havana From The Nineteenth To The Twentieth Century / Roberto Segre -- Unresolved Public Expressions Of Anti-trujilloism In Santo Domingo / Robert Alexander González -- Index. Edited By Clara Irazábal. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Prologue: ordinary places, extraordinary events in Latin America / Clara Irazábal Citzenship, democracy and public space in Latin America / Clara Irazábal Cities, democracies and powers Political appropriation of public space: extraordinary events in the Zócalo of Mexico City / Sergio Tamayo and Xóchitl Cruz-Guzmssn Reinventing the void: São Paulo's Museum of Art and public life along Avenida Paulista / Zeuler R. Lima and Vera M. Pallamin A memorable public space: the plaza of the Central Station in Santiago de Chile / Rodrigo Vidal Rojas and Hans Fox Timmling Lima's historic centre: old places shaping new social arrangements / Miriam Chion and Wiley Ludea Urquizo The Plaza de Boløvar of Bogotá: uniqueness of place, multiplicity of events / Alberto Saldarriaga Roa Place, citzenship and nationhood Space, revolution and resistance: ordinary places and extraordinary events in Caracas / Clara Irazábal and John Foley The struggle for urban territory Human rights activists in Buenos Aires / Susana Kaiser Iconic voids and social identity in a polycentric city: Havana from the nineteenth to the twentieth century / Roberto Segre Unresolved public expressions of anti-trujilloism in Santo Domingo / Robert Alexander González Index. Book Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Preface and Acknowledgements 8 The Contributors 10 Prologue: Ordinary Places, Extraordinary Events in Latin America 12 Chapter 1 Citizenship, Democracy, and Public Space in Latin America 22 Chapter 2 Political Appropriation of Public Space: Extraordinary Events in the Zocalo of Mexico City 46 Chapter 3 Reinventing the Void: Sao Paul's Museum of Art and Public Life along Avenida Paulista 70 Chapter 4 A Memorable Public Space: The Plaza of the Central Station in Santiago de Chile 95 Chapter 5 Lima’s Historic Centre: Old Places Shaping New Social Arrangements 114 Chapter 6 The Plaza de Bolívar of Bogotá: Uniqueness of Places, Multiplicity of Events 137 Chapter 7 Space, Revolution and Resistance: Ordinary Places and Extraordinary Events in Caracas 155 Chapter 8 The Struggle for Urban Territories: Human Rights Activists in Buenos Aires 181 Chapter 9 Iconic Voids and Social Identity in a Polycentric City: Havana from the Nineteenth to the Twentieth Century 209 Chapter 10 Unresolved Public Expressions of Anti-Trujilloism in Santo Domingo 232 Index 259 This volume explores the way that ordinary places are used and transformed in the minds of ordinary people involved in extraordinary, history-making events. It contains case studies that provide an unprecedented opportunity to look at cities with comparable cultural and political histories