Ordinary Places/Extraordinary Events

<p>Clara Irazábal and her contributors explore the urban history of some of Latin America’s great cities through studies of their public spaces and what has taken place there. The avenues and plazas of Mexico City Havana Santo Domingo Caracas Bogotaì SaÞo Paulo Lima Santiago and Buenos Aires have been the backdrop for extraordinary history-making events. While some argue that public spaces are a prerequisite for the expression representation and reinforcement of democracy they can equally be used in the pursuit of totalitarianism. Indeed public spaces in both the past and present have been the site for the contestation by ordinary people of various stances on democracy and citizenship. By exploring the use and meaning of public spaces in Latin American cities this book sheds light on contemporary definitions of citizenship and democracy in the Americas.</p>