CERLAC presents The Michael Baptista Lecture Series 2021-2022: Urban Spatial Justice and Human Security in the Caribbean and Latin America

Latin America and the Caribbean are highly urbanized regions, with the Caribbean, in particular, currently experiencing rapid urban growth. While cities in the region provide opportunities to access jobs and services, they are often characterized by racial and socio-spatial inequality, residential segregation, securitization and pervasive violence. Common urban development strategies aimed at attracting investment, tourism and skilled elites further exacerbate urban injustices. In this first Baptista forum for 2021/22, scholars place experiences from various cities in conversation as they consider potential policy, community-based and activist responses to violence and social hierarchy, with the goal of re-envisioning human security and spatial justice across the region.