Sustainable development blog : ecology and humanitarian aid

Translated by Vanessa Morrell from De Caracas aux Barrios de Petare, à la découverte d’une autre réalité.

The word “shanty town” takes a new shape and form as we visit the South American continent. Its omnipresence is so crucial to our understanding, that its name even takes a different shape as we cross borders. Chabola, villamiseria, favelas in Brazil, we call them barrios in Venezuela. The term originates from the word “quarter” in academic Castilian speak, but now holds an entire new sense in Chavez’ Bolivarian Republic. 

Bordered by hills-the city of Caracas and its shantytowns Read more »

Picture courtesy of http://www.jetsongreen.com

Some of the more heavily discussed topics of early 2010 include obesity, green infrastructure, clean water, and more. In particular, the addition and/or substitution of green spaces has been quite controversial as of late. Senior resident of Urban Land Institute Ed T. McMahon states "Green space adds value to property." Not only would these areas of conservation drive economic trends upward, but they also