This section provides varied information on aspects of the urban system for (currently) 41 cities and towns across the Americas region - covering the Caribbean, Central America, North America and South America and including several cities that are located on Small Island Developing States (the SIDS network).
The profiles of some cities contain more information than others due to the availability of published information online. The range of information provided for each city / town varies (from the likes of local government teams, researchers, think tanks and newspapers) and it may change over time. Whilst every effort is made to ensure all links are active, source links may change (please let us know if you do find any links that do not work).
Statistics about urbanisation in the USA, with its many cities and towns, is available from Statista.
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, the extent and pace of urbanisation is a mixed bag, yet it is still very high overall according to Statista (covering some 80% of the population across "LAC" countries, it is estimated).
UN-Habitat and UNDP provide urban support services in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Fast links:
Note: This section includes images of cities and towns to provide a small snapshot of what they look like. These images are either from the website owner or they have been sourced from free-to-use image sites. If you see an image that could / should be replaced, please contact the website owner.
Bridgetown - Wikipedia overview
Governance - finding a way forward for Barbados and other islands (NY Times 2022)
Government of Barbados Web Portal
The ecological system - the Bridgetown Agenda (2022)
The physical system - energy and the built environment (2021)
The socio-economic system - human adaptation to coastal hazards (Frontiers 2021)
Roseau - Wikipedia overview
Governance - the example of CREAD
Government of Dominica Web Portal
The ecological system - climate-related resilience planning and action (2022)
The physical system - Roseau Development Plan (Dominica Government, 2022)
The socio-economic system - COVID-19 recovery and DRM (World Bank 2022)
Kingston - Wikipedia overview
Governance - open governance plan (2021)
Government of Jamaica Web Portal
The ecological system - vulnerabilities (2022)
The physical system - the Rose Town Foundation
The socio-economic system - Environmental and Social Framework (government)
San José - Wikipedia overview
Governance - Costa Rica government website
The ecological system - improving ecology as part of the urban system (UNEP 2021)
Working to be a net zero country (BBC 2020)
The physical system - built environment density study (2022)
The socio-economic system - piloting the UESCO Culture 2030 indicators (2022)
Guatemala City - Wikipedia overview
Governance - Opportunity Districts in the Urban Development Plan 2020-2050
Governance. -an alternative view on the Opportunity Districts (Catalyst 2023)
Guatemala City government website
The ecological system - urban greenery analysis (MDPI 2020)
The ecological system - barrancos (2021)
The physical system - thoughts on municipal asset management (City2City 2020)
The socio-economic system - an opinion piece (UNDP 2021)
Mexico City - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
Mexico City government website
The ecological system - Environmental & Climate Change program (2019-2024)
The physical system - actions to drive clean construction (Buro Happold 2021)
The socio-economic system - challenges in the city (Springer 2021)
Querétaro - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - participation in the Climate Pathway Project
The socio-economic system - historical monuments of Querétaro (UNESCO)
Panama City - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - sustainability environmental development
The physical system - design strategies for buildings in tropical climates
The socio-economic system - country economic overview (the World Bank)
Iqaluit - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - climate change
Iqaluit's water crisis (The Arctic Institute 2022)
The physical system - development plan
The socio-economic system - some challenges (The Guardian 2016)
Toronto - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - the Toronto Environmental Alliance
Heat Island reduction strategies in Toronto (Science Direct 2004)
The physical system - an example project: Waterfront Toronto
The socio-economic system - socio-economic variation (Springer 2022)
Vancouver - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - The Vancouver Plan (Ecology)
Vulnerability to climate change (Vice 2021)
The physical system - designing a better system (The Conversation 2017)
Changing the system (InvestigateWest 2021)
The socio-economic system - social indicators (2020)
Austin - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - environment challenges
The physical system - the Supertalls are coming to Austin (Bloomberg 2023)
The socio-economic system - community gardens benefits (Springer 2022)
Baltimore - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - the Baltimore Ecosystem Study
Federal grant for Baltimore (Inside Climate News 2022)
The physical system - land use & urban design
The socio-economic system - how the built environment affects health (NIH 2016)
Boston - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - an evaluation of the Boston Harbor clean-up (Frontiers 2018)
The physical system - a carbon free Boston (Arup 2023)
Boston LEED construction guidelines
The socio-economic system - Boston's people. and economy (2022)
Chicago - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Chicago ecology (Biohabitats 2019)
Chicago's green spaces challenges (In Our Nature 2019)
The physical system - Green buildings and homes
The city that changed architecture (BBC 2015)
The socio-economic system - city demographics trends
Los Angeles - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - biodiversity in LA (The Nature Conservancy 2019)
A Fifth Ecology for LA (online book)
Remaking the river that made LA (NY Times 2022)
The physical system - speed of new building (LA Times 2023)
The socio-economic system - city demographics trends
Poor neighbourhoods bear the brunt of heat (LA Times 2021)
Miami - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - climate change
Can Florida survive? (The Guardian 2020)
The physical system - climate risks to where Miami keeps building (Yale 360 2020)
Miami's built environment (FT 2022)
The socio-economic system - making Miami more inclusive (FIU 2019)
New Orleans - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - protecting the ecosystems around the city (Biohabitats 2010)
What's happening to the city's trees? (Bloomberg 2023 - may be restricted)
The physical system - rethinking the future
The socio-economic system -
New York - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Urban ecology plan
The Environmental challenges of NYC (2021)
Climate Change and NYC (Gothamist 2022)
Still vulnerable after Sandy (the Guardian 2022)
Throwing shade - a model maps trees (Cornell University 2023)
The Green Economy Action Plan (2024)
The physical system - the built environment and climate change
Is the city changing with the times? (the Guardian 2023)
The socio-economic system -
Phoenix - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Environmental & Sustainability Goals
Can Phoenix become sustainable?
The physical system - Towards a resilient city (by the Mayor of Phoenix, 2023)
The socio-economic system - An economic analysis of heat management (2021)
Portland - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Natural systems
The physical system - Portland's 20-minute neighbourhoods analysis
Original Portland 20-minute city plans
Portland hard surfaces profile
The socio-economic system -
San Francisco - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - City ecology
The physical system - Sustainable city
The socio-economic system - finding solutions to problems (SF Chronicle 2022)
Seattle - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Trees for Seattle
The physical system - Sustainable buildings
The socio-economic system - population & demographics
Buenos Aires - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - ecological reserves (C40 2022)
the Costanera Sur reserve (the Guardian 2017)
The physical system - rethinking the future
The city and its climate (Architecture UCH 2021)
The socio-economic system - social challenges (Hozint 2022)
Rosario - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Resilient Rosario
Urban ecology held up as a success (Mongabay 2021)
Urban agriculture wins award (IIED 2021)
The physical system - buildings and energy efficiency (SEforALL 2017)
The socio-economic system - quality of life in the city (Springer 2019)
El Alto - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - water security (Science Direct 2019)
The physical system - the architecture of the city (My Modern Met 2022)
The socio-economic system - integrated urban development (UNDP 2021)
Belo Horizonte - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Interact-Bio (AIPH)
Climate Vulnerabilities Assessment (Go Explorer 2018)
The physical system - Urban Pathways projects tracker
The socio-economic system - The city's food security policy (Future Policy)
Curitiba - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - A visit to an ecological city (Urban Ecology)
How radical ideas made Curitiba green (the Guardian 2016)
Sustainability in the city (Borgen 2020)
The physical system - How transit-orientated planning can make cities sustainably(Milwaukee Tool 2022)
Curitiba is Smart City 2023 at World Smart City Awards (SCW 2023)
The socio-economic system - general information (Invest Curitiba 2021)
Creating an innovation ecosystem (Urban Agenda Platform 2023)
Rio de Janeiro - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - key matters facing the city (2020)
Returning a forest to life (Mongabay 2022)
The physical system - co-designing green architecture in slums (RICS 2020)
Carbon Neutral focus (Go Explorer 2018)
The socio-economic system -
Sao Paulo - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
Localisation of the SDGs (UN-Habitat 2021)
The ecological system - thinking on green infrastructure (Frontiers 2021)
Urban forest promotion in Sao Paulo (Oppla)
The physical system -
Bio-construction in Sao Paulo (Springer 2019)
A walking study of Sao Paulo (Science Direct 2019)
The socio-economic system -
Sobral - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The physical system - structural vulnerability of old facades (Science Direct 2021)
The socio-economic system - achieving world class education study (The World Bank 2022)
Reducing learning poverty (The World Bank 2020)
A problem-driven approach to education reform (Harvard 2023)
Bogota - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Bogota's sustainability ranking (City 2022)
Socio-ecological networks (Oppla)
The physical system - integrating land use planning and climate change (C40 2020)
Sustainable transport award (Impakter 2022)
The socio-economic system - inside Bogota's social stratification (The Guardian 2017)
Medellin - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - Green plans (Urban GreenUP)
Striving to be an eco-city (Al Jazeera 2021)
The physical system - community development (Issu 2020)
The socio-economic system - crime in the city (the Guardian 2022)
Medellin's Communa 13 becoming a tourist's draw (the Guardian 2020)
Santiago - Wikipedia overview
A citizen's interview with Norm Gridley
Governance -
Governance in Santiago (Arup 2017)
The ecological system - the city's Green Infrastructure plan (Oppla)
Chile's water crisis and Santiago (Earth 2022)
The physical system - the built environment and walking (Science Direct 2021)
The socio-economic system - social matters in labour market zones (Cepal 2017)
Quito - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - urban agriculture & food resilience (Frontiers 2022)
Urban agriculture case study (Oppla)
Urban expansion and urban forests (Science Direct 2020)
The physical system - sustainable urban drainage example (MDPI 2022)
Tall buildings are transforming Quito (The Economist 2022)
Attracting Starchitects (AD 2019)
The socio-economic system - socio-economic dimensions of mobility (Wiley 2021)
Asunción - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
Recommendations for resilience and sustainability (UN-Habitat 2020)
The ecological system - ecological dimensions (UN-Habitat Urban Resilience Hub)
The physical system - Reclaiming Asunción (Architectural Review 2022)
The socio-economic system - promoting socio-economic recovery in Paraguay (UNDP 2020)
Lima - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - The Lima Ecological Infrastructure Strategy (USE)
Nature-based Solutions (Nature Network)
The physical system - urban environment overview (2021)
The socio-economic system - spatial inequality in Lima (Springer 2021)
Arequipa - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
Local government website
The ecological system - addressing water resilience needs (ResearchGate 2021)
The physical system - the historical centre (UNESCO)
The socio-economic system - promoting micro-enterprises (IDB 2020)
Paramaribo - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
The ecological system - the urban green system
The physical system - a mixed-use strategy for the urban centre (Issuu 2018)
The socio-economic system - socio-economic and ethnic segregation (Springer 2021)
Montevideo - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
Resilience Strategy (RCN 2018)
City Voluntary Local Review (UN 2020)
The ecological system - Green infrastructure in Montevideo (MDPI 2020)
The physical system - sustainable public transport (MDPI 2020)
the potential of timber buildings (Dialogo Chino 2022)
The socio-economic system - rewiring the socio-economic fabric through waste (2022)
Caracas - Wikipedia overview
Governance -
An overview of Caracas (The Empty Square 2022)
The fallen metropolis (the Guardian 2018)
The socio-economic system - Inequality in Caracas (Foreign Policy 2022)
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