Thesis: The built environment of Buenos Aires is reflective of the political state of the nation of Argentina at any given point in the city’s history.
The French Presence in Buenos Aires
In the beginning of the twentieth century, leaders of Buenos Aires were eager to correct the flaws in "the strict parallelism of narrow streets and the division of the land into square blocks which... would in a short time turn the city into an enormous extension, antiaesthetic from all points" [1]. At the time, Mayor Carlos T. de Alvear allowed Joseph Bouvard, an urbanist from Paris, to carry out some of his plans for future avenues and other urban projects. This included the removal of the checkerboard design, wide avenues, and especially diagonal roads that encouraged the construction of many new buildings in the early twentieth century. The changes made to the built environment in the beginning would reflect social instability in terms of housing and separation in urban space[2]. Although many of Bouvard's proposals remained on paper due to a lack of realization of the reality of daily life, French presence in the urban planning and architecture of Buenos Aires remained strong and reflected political preference of the nation. However, with the upheaval of the Mexican agricultural revolution in 1910 and the uprising of indigenous movements in different countries, a clash of ideologies between the national architects and the foreign architects led the architectural students in Buenos Aires to become less inclined to favor Euro-centric designs. In 1912, conflict arose when the Concejo Deliberante (Deliberative Council) of Buenos Aires hired Francisco Benjamin Chaussemiche, an architect and resident in Paris, to head the Municipal department responsible for implementing the urban planning of Buenos Aires. Debate on hiring foreigners for public art arose and eventually, "Operation Chaussemiche" was rejected by the majority of voters on the Buenos Aires Council [1]; this was the first battle won in the quest to obtain autonomous planning in Buenos Aires. In 1924, landscape designer Jean-Claude Forestier expressed his ideas of the need to increase green areas in Buenos Aires. He proposed suburban parks on the outskirts of the city, large urban parks, and open fields and groves. In 1936, his proposals came to life as General Paez Avenue (figure 1). Additionally, in order to expand the city and establish its territorial presence, important buildings that housed several ministries were located around the Plaza de Mayo to reaffirm the idea of centrality (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Forestier's landscape project for the Saavedra Park.
Figure 2: Big administrative towers and "promenades" by the river.
Building Aesthetic in Buenos Aires
The growth of the city during the 1920s led to the creation of the Comision de Urbanismo y Estetica Edilicia of the Central Society of Architects. A decade later, Le Corbusier envisioned a more humane version of Buenos Aires. He proposed moving the center of business and administrative activities so that skyscrapers would create an island of business. However, his proposal failed as it did not reflect the reality of the city. Other influencers in this era includes Werner Hegemann, an architect from Berlin. His approach to the city's form was to control growth through the Urban Plan and the Building Regulations or Building Code. He agreed with Forestier on the need to increase green space.
Political Instability in Buenos Aires
In the late 20th century, crime and public security in Latin America became an important part of the political agenda. Public fear and concerns stimulated strong neo-authoritarian pressures that stifled police-democratization processes [3]. For example, in 1992, the Israeli embassy was bombed. It resulted in the death of twenty nine civilians. This attack prompted an investigation into the local police [4]. Two years later, in 1994, the bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building occurs. It is one of the most significant bombings in Argentina as it is the deadliest attack to date. This attack was on the Jewish community in Argentina, where it was the largest in Latin America. By targeting these Jewish centers, Buenos Aires had to reestablish itself after such a significant blow. However, the political tensions and distrust of the government were extremely high at the time and the rubbles of the built environment show the government's lack of ability to maintain control and order. In June 1955, there was a bombing in the city that killed 364 civilians. The goal of the bombing was to attack the official seat of government and was the largest bombing on the Argentine mainland. This bombing attack came right after the expansion of the city grew to about three million people. The city had to rebuild itself after this catastrophe and make up for the growth that it had already been creating. After this bombing of Plaza de Mayo, the revolution libertadora, a military and civilian uprising, ended the presidential term of Juan Peron in Argentina. In 1975, another bombing occurs at a theatre, plunging Argentina into their darkest times, The Dirty War from 1976-1983 for political power.
Figure 3: Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Bombing [5]
The bombing revealed the political corruption throughout Argentina’s government. One major arrest was of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, former President of Argentina[6]. Suspiciously, the death of an Argentine Prosecutor Alberto Nisman occurred just a day before he was meant to present his report on the 1994 Jewish Center bombing[7]. Another terrorist identified in the bombing was Imad Mughniyeh, a senior official of the Lebanon-based Islamic militant group and political party Hezbollah[8]. He was assassinated in 2008. These bombings allowed the government to rebuild and reorganize their built environment as well as their political structure at the same time.
Current Day Buenos Aires
At the twenty-first century, Buenos Aires is in significant debt. In 2001, banks shut down and the economic catastrophe leads President De la Rua to resign. In 2002, Argentina defautls on an $800m debt repayment to the World Bank. In 2006, Argentina repays its multi-billion-dollar debt to the IMF. In 2007, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is elected president. In 2014, Argentina defaults on its international debt for the second time. Eventually, Argentina's economy stabilizes. In 2016, Argentina agrees to settle multi-billion-dollar dispute with US hedge funds over bond payments. In 2018, the government raises interest rates to prevent the devaluing of the peso currency. Even while Argentina struggles with their finances, the role of arts never decline in value. Buenos Aires is a center for literature, film, and education. Currently, the film industry in Argentina remains alive and strong, known for edgy and intense dramas.Popular films from Buenos Aires portray the presence, use and struggles over public spaces and its relation to class inequality [9]. Currently, the president of Argentina is Mauricio Macri. He has been in office since 2015 and won votes through a campaign that valued order, security, and safeguarding of private property [10]. He attempted to mitigate Argentina's economic difficulties by removing currency controls to allow Argentines to freely buy and sell currency. However, the Argentine peso was devalued during his term. Today, the Argentine economy is seeing high inflation rates, Argentina is seeking loans from the International Monetary Fund to stay financially afloat.
References
[1] Planning Latin America's Capital Cities: 1850 - 1950. London: Routledge, 2002.
[2] Ospina Leon, Juan Sebastian. 2017. “The Conventillo, the Department Store, and the Cabaret: Navigating Urban Space and Social Class in Argentine Silent Cinema, 1916–1929.” Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies (13569325) 26 (3): 377–91.
[3] Campesi, Giuseppe. “Policing, Urban Poverty and Insecurity in Latin America: The Case of Mexico City and Buenos Aires.” Theoretical Criminology 14, no. 4 (November 2010): 447–71.
[4] “Argentina Orders Inquiry Into 1992 Bombing of Israeli Embassy.” New York Times 148, no. 51514 (May 6, 1999): A19.
[5] Aizenberg, Edna. “Argentine Space, Jewish Memory: Memorials to the Blown Apart and Disappeared in Buenos Aires.” Mortality 12, no. 2 (May 2007): 109–23. doi:10.1080/13576270701255099.
[6] Politi, Daniel. “Ex-President Of Argentina Is Accused Of Treason.” New York Times 167, no. 57805 (December 8, 2017): A4–A4.
[7] Faulk, Karen Ann. “The Death of an Argentine Prosecutor and the Moral Economy of Truth.” Public Culture 31, no. 1 (January 2019): 173–96. https://doi.org/10.1215/08992363-7181880.
[9] Cosacov, Natalia, and Mariano D. Perelman. "Struggles over the Use of Public Space: Exploring Moralities and Narratives of Inequaility. Cartoneros and Vesinos in Buenos Aires." Journal of Latin American Studies 47, no. 3 (Auguest 2015): 521-42.
[10] Gallo, Adriana. “Posicionaniento De La Derecha v Comportamiento Electoral En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires. Análisis De Los Comicios Porteños De 2007.” Documentos y Aportes En Administración Pública y Gestión Estatal 8, no. 10 (July 2008): 29–74. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=44600936&site=ehost-live.
Images
Image 1: Forestier's landscape project for the Saavedra Park. Image 2: Figure 2: Big administrative towers and "promenades" by the river. Image 3: Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Bombing