THE CHALLENGES OF URBAN RESEARCH - A LATIN-AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

The article explores recent transformations in the cities of Latin Ame rica and the Caribbean, their effects on urban research and the challe nges facing such research. On the first point, four central processes are identified: changes in the urban economy, greater fragmentation an d social exclusions, the crisis in present forms of municipal governme nt, and urban decay. Their explanation is preceded by an outline of th e distinctive features of urban development in previous decades and th e explanatory theories that were developed on the subject. Regarding t he consequences and challenges, it is maintained that, given the diffe rent time scales and trends that exist between urban development and e conomic and social processes, recent changes have a considerable impac t on urban research; the main challenges facing such research are: con ducting long-term research, maintaining continuity of subject around t he essential processes of urban development, reviewing the epistemolog ical question of the character of the object of study, and rebuilding the institutional character of urban research on new bases.