Reflections on Latin American Urban Thought: Contributions to a Political Ecology of Urbanization

This article examines theoretical pathways toward a non-city-centered conception of urbanization in the Latin American context, drawing on an extended review of the literature. Although Latin American urban-regional thought has advanced understandings of North-South structural dependence and its urban consequences, a theoretical gap has remained in analyses of urbanization beyond the centrality of urban spaces, particularly in relation to urban-rural and society-nature dynamics. By integrating contributions from Political Ecology and Urban Political Ecology, the article proposes a Political Ecology of Urbanization that articulates rural concerns, socio-environmental conflicts, and extractivist activities with multiscalar processes of urbanization. This approach moves beyond linear interpretations of rural-urban flows, emphasizing relational continuities across spaces. Lastly, the article advocates a perspective attuned to the region’s complexity and specificities, promoting knowledge production in collaboration with diverse social actors and movements.

Keywords:
Urban Theories; Urbanization; Latin America; Political Ecology, Urban Political Ecology; Urban Studies; Political Ecology of Urbanization