Metaphors of Latin American cities. Imported, neutral and depoliticized concepts and adjectives?

Abstract

We live in a time in which the concepts that explain the current urban crisis and transition multiplies in a colossal way: creative, divided, compact, sustainable, fragmented city, and so on. This article addresses the proliferation of adjectives regarding the city of the 21st century and inquires if metaphors are useful to a better understanding of the current city. In this article, we investigate the origin, temporality, territoriality, political vision, and ideological orientation of 31 concepts, some of which even questions the use of the concept “city” to explain current urban processes. Several of the analyzed concepts (like other urban models and public policies) have arisen in other geographical and linguistic basins, but they have reached Latin America and are currently in common use for different actors. We present how some concepts have been coined by international organizations to mitigate the effects of neoliberal capitalism in cities, while other concepts are promoted by private companies (Smart cities) or by pro - entrepreneurialism “academics” (Creative cities). Many others also have been produced by critical scholars. For some colleagues, the enormous number and diversity of surnames that we give to the cities are evidence that we do not agree on what is happening with them, while for others this multiplication —far from enriching— impoverishes the urban studies. However, we consider that some analyzed concepts are more than metaphors and constitute very enriching conceptual tools for critical, deneutralized, and repolitized urban studies.