ABSTRACT
The phenomenon of intensive urban growth in Africa and especially in Latin America has been extensively analyzed since the 1970s, and urban research has progressed enormously in its efforts to understand the factors, agents and processes shaping urban reality in those regions. The multifaceted nature of environmental processes has been reflected in the undertaking of original interdisciplinary environmental studies. The long standing problems of urban and environmental management in those regions are widely known; among them, the lack of resources and coordinated action between governmental agencies has frequently been mentioned. The environmental implications of state intervention, through law, in the process of urban growth and change, require further research. However, most developing countries have recently been undergoing significant political and administrative reform in the context of economic liberalization and privatization policies. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
