Angel Rama, 1984

Great book!

After reading it, I had to put it aside and pick it up several months later. I needed some time to process all its layers in my mind

The book explains Latin American cities through various types of cities. The Spanish-ordered city (La Ciudad Ordenada), drawn through the Laws of India’s grid, becomes The Literate City (La Ciudad Letrada) when the written word, and its maps, generate signs that overcome the real city to build an urban imaginaries.

The city is written and drawn through these concepts.

The city becomes modern while excluding some citizens. The city is politicized, becoming a discourse of power. Finally, the city is revolutionized to build what I describe as the populist alliance of Latin American pseudodemocracies.