ABSTRACT
This chapter draws attention to the fact that key social issues, such as race, gender and even the origin of urban populations, never received the necessary attention. It argues that the historical prevalence of the issues, in Brazil and other countries in Latin America, has materialized in geographies of social fragmentation that are clearly perceptible in the fabric of cities. The chapter describes the concept of marginality. It reflects on the experiences of Cities South of Cancer in Queretaro, Mexico, and Cali, Colombia. The chapter also argues that urban and architectural design can certainly act as a catalyst for change, but to do so designers need to understand the complex issues— socio-economic, racial and political— that are enmeshed in the urban fabric. Taller Activo is design-build studio led by architect Juan Alfonso Garduno, former dean of architecture at the Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Tecnologica de Monterrey in Queretaro, Mexico.
