Publisher's Synopsis
The hills outside Caracas are dotted with transient, dilapidated structures which are home to thousands of people who create their own socio-economic environment, one which has a unique place in the city's infrastructure. This publication can be understood as a handbook of informal urban and cultural practice. Its validity extends far beyond Caracas and could be applied to nearly all Latin American metropolises and several cities in Africa and Asia too. The book's essays question the value of traditional Western-style social and political structures and present a new form of urbanism as a subject for discussion. The conclusion shows a need for a profound change in our understanding of urban culture, especially in today's increasingly fragmented, inequitable and insecure society. This project was a joint initiative between the 'Federal Cultural Foundation' of Germany and the 'Urban Think Tank' in Caracas, Venezuela.
