The development of Latin American peripheries under new paradigms. Reflections on the example of Jundiaí, Brazil

Abstract

Informal settlements have increasingly become a topic of discussion and experimentation in architecture and urban planning, and Latin America is home to notable interventions in this area. The improvement of these environments is still the main challenge for cities in the region, which require contemporary architecture to contribute by reviving its social function, without which concepts like sustainability and resilience lose their meaning. This article presents the case of Jundiaí, Brazil: an example of the connection between housing and urban policies supported by new legal instruments and public financing to upgrade four slum areas. The case illustrates how these local political milestones helped the city to increase the scale of its intervention, although the results are often unremarkable. However, the connection of different policies creates an opportunity for architecture to broaden its social impact, thus becoming fully sustainable and resilient.