An expedition into architecture and urbanism of the Global South

Salama, Ashraf M. and Grierson, David (2016) An expedition into architecture and urbanism of the Global South. Open House International, 41 (2). pp. 4-5. ISSN 0168-2601

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Abstract

The nations of Africa, Central and Latin America, and most of Asia are collectively known as the Global South, which includes practically 157 of a total of 184 recognized states in the world according to United Nations reports. Metaphorically, it can be argued that most of the efforts in architectural production, city planning, place making, place management, and urban development are taking place in the Global South and will continue to be so over the next several decades. While many cities and settlements in the Global South have less developed or severely limited resources, others are growing and flourishing. Although they share similarities in terms of social, economic, and environmental challenges, it is increasingly evident that these challenges offer real opportunities for development and growth. Political turmoil, social disorder, and economic upheaval are predominant in many of the cities and settlements in the Global South. Yet, it is widely acknowledged that their societies, emerging markets, transnational practices are viewed as growth prospects which are continuously manifested in material culture, architecture, and urbanism. Within the new world order cities and settlements in the Global South have experienced dramatic transformations that instigated critical questions about regenerating and retrofitting cities, international connectivity, international attractiveness, changing housing dynamics, and the quality of urban life, among other emerging issues resulting from rapid urban development processes.

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