This session will focus on current trends in this region in relation to key variables explaining the urban situation: informality, underemployment, poverty, inequality, housing realities, and microfinancing both for business and housing. Speakers will present insights from a diverse body of research and actual engagement they have been involved in specific projects. They will actual urban issues in Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Mexico, as well as comparing with Latin American migrants in the US. Discussion is expected to address the variety of approaches on state interventions in the region: from strong state intervention to more market-driven policies. Labor markets and migration, both national and international, are also to be discussed in the context of the countries mentioned.
