Throughout the twentieth century, there was a notable population shift in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, from rural living situations to urban centers. In 2000 there were 49 cities with populations of over one million, four of them among the 10 largest cities in the world....

This paper proposes a methodology to resolve the problems that result from using a combination of objective and subjective information in evaluating urban quality of life. The paper further suggests techniques to identify and rank issues of potential importance for urban dwellers. In order to...

Between 2000 and 2013, Latin America has considerably reduced poverty (from 46.3% to 29.7% of the population). In this paper, we use synthetic panels to show that, despite progress, the region remains characterized by substantial vulnerability that also affects the rising middle-class. More...

Building Cities reviews the experiences of the Latin American and Caribbean region in the design and implementation of neighbourhood upgrading programmes. The volume has a particular focus on the lessons learned by specialists of the Inter-American Development Bank and their technical and...

Cities for All examines informal urbanization in Latin America as well as the methodologies being used to design and implement programs to upgrade slum areas in the region.Abstract: Ciudades para todos analiza el fenómeno de la urbanización informal en América Latina y presenta diferentes...

The IDB undertakes multiple activities in support of urban heritage preservation, including the provision of investment loans and reimbursable and nonreimbursable technical cooperation. The IDB also organizes policy debates, seminars, and technical exchanges among cities, and produces technical...

This paper present examples of positive economic and social impacts of cultural projects and mentions an interpretation of the positive interaction between development and culture. Several best practices are explored for each single topic and guidelines for future IDB projects are suggested....

This document reviews the activities of the IDB to deal with the lack of fully serviced dwellings for the entire region's population. The document considers this a case of market and government failure, which has resulted in an estimated 10 to 15 million households living in substandard dwellings.

This paper considers why most households in Latin America and the Caribbean remain unserved by traditional housing finance systems and how micro-finance potentially offers a key to help the low/moderate-income majority meet their shelter needs.

This paper is intended primarily for those governments in Latin America that have public rental housing. Although there is currently not a great deal of public rental housing in the region, it is one of the most affordable housing solutions for the low-income populations in some Latin American...