Heterodox metropolitan planning: operational strategies of the recent Argentine casuistry

Abstract

Metropolitan plans cannot be typified, although the examples from the “North” prevail in the specialized bibliography. Besides the content differences, the northern plans share state frameworks underpinned by huge structures of laws and regulations. But what happens to the initiatives of metropolitan organization that do not count on the support of similar institutional orchestrations, as occurs in the Latin American countries? Based on a comparative case study of Argentine casuistry, this study aims to shed light on these questions, inquiring into the specificity of metropolitan planning, to contribute to research and practice frameworks in the Latin American context. Considering three analytical dimensions: institutional, instrumental and procedural, it inquiries into the particularities of a technological approach, which it was tentatively call “heterodox”, and whose unique operation lies in the ability to combine projects and strategies in an innovative way, and to take advantage of institutional lightness to enhance the flexibility of forms and processes.

Keywords:
Metropolitan planning; Institutional frameworks; Instrumental innovation