Agency in the Urban Margins: The Pilot Plan for Shantytown # 7 (Buenos Aires, 1971-75)

ADRIANA LAURA MASSIDDA

Nueva York

Congreso; XXXIV International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association; 2016

Latin American Studies Association

In 1971, after fifteen years of statepolicies aimed at shantytown eviction, the Municipality of Buenos Airesapproved a Pilot Plan for the re-accommodation of a small shantytown, Villa 7,through a participatory approach. Emerging from a context of intense popularmobilisations and a transition to democracy, this initiative empoweredresidents by including them in both the design and construction processes.Moreover, the shantytown?s location was also maintained. This approachresponded to the key demands of shantytown movements which had previouslycollaborated with the architects involved. The Pilot Plan contrasted withcontemporary initiatives where shantytown residents were forcefully relocated,and even with those aided self-housing programmes which were celebrated butalso criticised for over-working the residents. At the same time, itforeshadowed debates concerning the role of the user which remain open untiltoday.This paper will examine the Pilot Planin order to discuss the spatial agencies of shantytown residents, state, andrelated professionals (architects, engineers, social workers) and their abilityto transform the urban territory. It will be argued that, although state andresident agencies have often been considered antagonistic, in several specificinstances their interests have been aligned. In fact, the intentions of bothshantytown residents and the state were neither fixed nor univocal but rathermultifaceted, and together they compose a complex picture. Additionally, itwill be demonstrated that, although the agency of the architects involved isoften considered an appendage to that of the state, they acted with asubstantial degree of independence.