Colonial Legacies in Urban Landscapes: A Comparative Analysis of Santo Domingo and Oaxaca

Colonial planning paradigms persist in shaping urban landscapes and spatial hierarchies in Latin American heritage cities, contributing to contemporary issues such as gentrification, infrastructural inequality, and symbolic dispossession. A comparative analysis of Santo Domingo and Oaxaca reveals distinct yet interconnected colonial trajectories: Santo Domingo exemplifies a fortified, centralized model, while Oaxaca demonstrates a more permeable and negotiated urban form shaped by mestizaje and indigenous resilience. Both cities, however, remain structured by exclusionary spatial regimes. The study advocates for a decolonial urban approach that interrogates these continuities, reclaims urban memory, and prioritizes spatial justice and community agency to reshape Latin American cities.

Barraza Cardenas, L. (2024). Colonial Legacies in Urban Landscapes: A Comparative Analysis of Santo Domingo and Oaxaca. Italian Journal of Planning Practice, 14(01), 58. https://doi.org/10.66428/ijppv14i01a003