Buenos Aires: the neoliberal orientation of metropolitan development

Abstract

This article analyzes the transformations of the metropolitan city of Buenos Aires since the implementation of policies characterized by neoliberal orientation, which changed relations between market, society and the State. Buenos Aires has historically been produced and consumed with predominance of commercial arrangements, a relative disregard by the State, particularly concerning land and housing, and the effort of middle and low income sectors. The neoliberal restructuring, begun in 1976, expanded and strengthened this predominance: uncommodified processes have been commodified, some previously decommodified have been recommodified and the metropolitan configuration became subordinated to private directions. Correspondingly, popular nonmarket processes of self-production and irregularity have developed, for production-consumption of land, housing and services.

Keywords:
Buenos Aires; Neoliberalism; Urbanization; Commodification; Decommodification.