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Latin Americans’ Perceptions of the Challenges of Urban Living

By Matthew L. Layton

The 2012 AmericasBarometer survey results suggest that urban crime undermines citizens' trust in government but may prompt citizen participation.

Rapid urbanization has shaped Latin American societies for the last half century. Across the Latin American and Caribbean region, about four out of every five citizens now live in an urban area. Nearly two out of every five citizens of the region live in an urban area with more than 1 million inhabitants.[1]

The region’s largest urban centers provide their residents with many opportunities unavailable elsewhere, but they also entail unique and sometimes seemingly intractable challenges.  Understanding how citizens...

Read this article on the Americas Quarterly website. | Subscribe to AQ.

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