Table Of ContentAna María Fernández-Maldonado graduated
as an architect in 1982 at the Faculty of
Architecture, Urbanism and Arts of the
National Engineering University in Lima,
Peru. In 1990 she received a Master in Science
diploma, with mention in Architecture and
specialisation in Human Settlements, from
the same faculty.
Information and communication technologies’ (ICTs’) use
and application – within and between cities - are producing
significant urban transformations, making cities more connected, ICT-RELATED TRANSFORMATIONS IN
and, at the same time more complex than ever before. A sub-
discipline of urban studies - ‘urban ICT studies’ - has recently
emerged to explore, analyse and theorise how the technological LATIN AMERICAN METROPOLISES
advances are transforming urban forms, urban processes and the
perceptions of urban life. ICT-related transformations in cities
of the developing world, however, have not received enough
academic attention up to now. This book makes a contribution to
the field of urban ICT studies in cities of the South, by exploring
Ana María Fernández-Maldonado
the ICT-related transformations in the Latin American urban
scene.
Based on Gabriel Dupuy’s notion of the ‘urbanism of networks’, In 1991-92 she attended the Seminars of
the research analyses the recent transformations at three levels: the D.E.A. (Diplôme d’Études Aproffondies)
the ICT infrastructure networks, the networks of production in Urban and Regional Planning in Latin
and consumption of ICTs in the local urban economy, and the America at the Institut d’Hautes Études
diffusion of digital connectivity in everyday life. The results de l’Amérique Latine (IHEAL), Université
have been useful to spell out the main trends regarding urban Paris III. In 1994 she received a Master in
functioning and the urban form. The book also presents the Technological Design diploma from the
situation of digital connectivity in Buenos Aires and Lima, Faculty of Architecture of Delft University of
selected as case-studies because singular ICT-related processes Technology.
are occurring in these two large metropolises.
Her professional practice began as
professional architect in her own office,
Arquitectas Asociadas, in association with
Carmen Gil and Eliana Córdova, in which they
carried out several architectural and urban
design projects commissioned by, and later
built by, Lima’s Metropolitan Investment
Fund. In 1987 and 1988 she worked as urban
planner in the Municipality of Comas, a
large district in the North Cone of Lima.
During 1989-1990 she was member of staff
of the Post-Graduate Section of the Faculty
of Architecture, Urbanism and Arts of the
National Engineering University.
From 1994 to 1997 she worked on different
projects at the Spatial Planning Group of the
Theme of this series: ISBN 01-001-0001-1 Faculty of Architecture of Delft University
of Technology. Since 1997 she is working
Design/Science/Planning as a staff researcher in the same group,
Realism-based scientific approaches to and as coordinator of the Design Studio
design, architecture and urban planning. The Network City, currently part of the Delft
The series aims to contribute to the Centre for Sustainable Urban Areas in the
development of empirical-scientific Delft University of Technology. Her research
and/or practical-scientific bodies of work is focused on urban ICT studies, with
knowledge with regard to the above emphasis on developing countries and urban
mentioned fields of study, including their deprivation issues. She has contributed to the
assessment in the context of application. faculty of architecture faculty of industrial design engineering Delft University Press urban ICT literature with several chapters in
D esign books, scientific journals and has contributed
to international conferences.
S cience
P lanning
ICTs-AMFM-041014_omslag-zw-02.indd 1 15-10-2004 14:50:52
A. M. Fernández-Maldonado ICT-related transformations in Latin American metropolises
ICT-RELATED TRANSFORMATIONS IN
LATIN AMERICAN METROPOLISES
Faculty of Architecture
Delft University of Technology
ICT-RELATED TRANSFORMATIONS IN
LATIN AMERICAN METROPOLISES
Ana Maria Fernández-Maldonado
Colophon
Design Science Planning
Series editor:
Dr. I.T.Klaasen, Faculty of Architecture (Spatial Planning), Delft University of Technology
Editorial Board:
Prof. Dr.P.Drewe, Faculty of Architecture (Spatial Planning), Delft University of Technology
Prof. Ir.J.J.Jacobs, Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Delft University of Technology
Prof. Dr.P.Roberts, Department of Civic Design (Regional Planning), University of Liverpool
Prof. L.Steil, New School of Architecture of Viseu, Universidade Catolica
Published and distributed by:
Delft University Press
P.O. Box 98
2600 MG Delft
The Netherlands
Telephone: +31 15 278 5678
Telefax: +31 15 278 5706
E-mail:
6 ICT-related transformations in Latin American metropolises
7
Foreword
During the twentieth century the urbanisation process has changed the face of world, which
is now eminently an urban world. In no other region of the world has the urbanisation process
developed at such a fast pace as in Latin America. Whereas in 1925, 75% of Latin Americans
lived in rural areas, this proportion has been reversed and in 2001, 75.8% lived in urban areas.
Latin America is currently the second most urbanised world region, after North America. At the
same time, it is where the highest percentage of people is concentrated in large cities. The
main actors behind this huge spatial mobilisation have been millions of young people, whose
desire for economic progress and social advancement have overcome immense spatial, social,
economic and cultural obstacles.
A process of similar significance for social, economic and cultural change has appeared in the
urban scene during the end of the twentieth century: digital connectivity at the global level.
While the developed world has rapidly adopted the new technologies, for the developing world
the process develops at a slower tempo because the demand for digital connectivity by most
people is not lucrative enough for the global corporations which control the telecommunications
markets. But, if the obstacles toward digital connectivity are still too high for most of the urban
population, the lessons from the urbanisation process lead us to think that people will eventually
find a way to overcome economic barriers in order to catch up digitally. After all, the main actors,
the main motives behind the move toward cities and the move toward digital connectivity are the
precisely the same: millions of young people with a strong desire for progress and citizenship.
Signs of this process can already be seen in the large cities of Latin America, which is the best
connected region of the developing world. For several reasons, however, no studies have,
so far, been addressed to exploring the transformations that ICTs and digital connectivity are
bringing to the Latin American cities. This has been the main motivation in embarking on this
research: to explore, document and assess what is happening now in the Latin American
metropolises regarding digital connectivity.
This research originated within the Design Studio ‘The Network City’, which began to function
in August 1997 in the Faculty of Architecture of Delft University of Technology (TU-Delft),
on the initiative of the Chair of Spatial Planning and the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial
Planning, and Environment (VROM). Its implementation was the result of the recommendations
of an exploratory study commissioned in 1996 by Johan van Wamelen, head of the Directie
Informatiemanagement en Organisatie (DIO), to Prof. Paul Drewe, Chair of Spatial Planning, to
investigate the relationship between ICTs and cities. After my appointment as coordinator of the
Design Studio the first steps of this research were taken.
8 ICT-related transformations in Latin American metropolises
The development of this PhD research has been a very pleasant job for several reasons.
The very first reason is the magic of the topic, its revolutionary character. Digital connectivity
has opened a whole new world for us recently, which continuously challenges my intellectual
curiosity. My personal fascination is not less important than the intellectual challenge: as a
Latin American living in Europe, with family and friends scattered around different continents,
the advent of the Internet changed my life greatly, by allowing me to be in daily and instant
contact with my loved ones. I feel, therefore, a high personal affinity with the world of the new
technologies. Further, ICTs not only constitute the topic of this PhD research; they are also
deeply involved in the methods I used to collect information and conduct the research work.
This work would not have been possible without the Internet as a research tool.
Additionally, during the course of this work I have had the privilege to meet, interact and discuss
with interesting and inspiring people - from well-known authors to peers and students involved
in the field of urban ICT studies - who have received my work with great interest, which has
led to invitations to publish in different academic contexts. Further, this piece of work has also
been the occasion of a renewed encounter with my roots and as such it has been a source of
emotional gratification. By contributing to the academic debate on Latin American cities I feel I
am contributing to the development of my homeland.
For the completion of this book I am deeply indebted to many people that have supported
me along these years. First of all I have to express my gratitude to my research promoters,
Paul Drewe and Edward Hulsbergen, for their continuous support, stimulus and inspiration.
For me, it has always been a pleasure and a privilege to work with them. My special gratitude
is due to Edward, for being there in times of existential, cultural or methodological confusion. I
thank my colleagues from the Chair Spatial Planning for the always friendly and pleasant work
environment, as well as Linda de Vos and Margret van Swieten for their rapid and enthusiastic
help in many administrative tasks. I also want to thank my English language editor, David
Baynton, for his fine work, his encouragement and his English humor.
For their support to the Design Studio, whose coordination led me to this research, I would like
to thank the Ministry of VROM and Johan van Wamelen. I am also grateful to the members of
the dissertation commission for dedicating their time to evaluate my thesis. Further, I want to
thank Sam Paltridge, Peri Paredes, Andrés Solari, Francisco Proenza, Francisco Colombo,
Carmen Gil and José Luis Rénique for reading parts of the manuscript version of the thesis and
kindly sending me comments, ideas and suggestions.
I need to express my gratitude to my Peruvian friends, who have supported me during my field
work with contacts, ideas, comments, suggestions, information and have invited me to present
my work in different occasions. A special gratitude goes to Germán Pérez and Jorge Melo Vega,
for their constant interest and support, and to Nelson Manrique, who first saw the significance of
the ICT transformations in Lima, and who generously guided me in the world of ‘ICT informality’
during several consecutive years. I also have to thank my friends in Argentina, especially to
María Esther Rodríguez and Beatriz Cuenya, for their support, contacts and suggestions during
my visits to Buenos Aires.
I also want to acknowledge the intellectual contribution of my online network: friends and
peers from around the world, with whom I have had virtual discussions on different issues
of this research, in many occasions. With some of these online friends I still await a physical
encounter, which I am sure will come. Additionally, I want to thank all the persons that helped
me gathering data, who provided me with their (unpublished) research reports, to those who
provided me with contact with their with peers working in similar topics, as well as the persons I
interviewed, and all those who let me take photos or kindly answered my questions. I especially
9
acknowledge the warm welcome of the people from the City of Buenos Aires Planning Office,
who gave me their time and attention during December 2001, in times of high social unrest.
I also would like to acknowledge the contribution of my friends. Dino, John, Sasha, Karina,
Luisa and Paul have given me many valuable suggestions and tips from their own experience in
the long way to the PhD dissertation at the TUDelft. The young ‘Latin American’ researchers at
the 8th floor of the faculty - Roberto, Andrea, Sari, Natacha, Marcela, Jason, Javier, Francisco,
Alejandro - have also collaborated in different ways: they have been an immediately available
source of comparative data and, more important, of laughter and joie de vivre.
My family has a very important place in my life; I would like to thank them for their love and
constant support not only during the research but in every moment of my life. This goes
especially to my mother, Estela, for being a second mother of my children. Chicos, thanks
for being what you are. Rudie, my partner in life, has been another important factor of my
emotional well-being; I thank him for the daily happiness. I would have loved to have given this
book to my father, Jorge Fernández-Maldonado, whose life and thought have greatly influenced
my own. Since that is not possible any more, I want to thank life for making me his daughter,
which I consider a great privilege.
Ana María Fernández-Maldonado
Delft, October 2004
