In this first comprehensive work in English to describe the building of Latin America's capital cities in the postcolonial period, Arturo Almandoz and his contributors demonstrate how Europe, and France in particular, shaped their culture, architecture and planning until the United States began to play a part in the 1930s. A series of case studies are devoted to individual cities, each extensively illustrated and written by authorities on the city concerned. Providing a historical survey of Latin American urban development, this book also offers a new perspective on international planning.