The Effect of La Violencia on the Shape of BogotaThis page provides links to the text of my research, as well as other research by the World Urbanization class at Macalester College and other links to information on Colombia.
The Effect of La Violencia on the Shape of BogotaThe early growth of Bogota was characterized by a north-south development pattern, primarily to the north, spreading from the central Plaza de Bolivar. In the 1950s and 60s, political violence in the countryside resulted in mass migrations of people from the hinterlands to large cities, most notably Bogota. This traditional growth structures of the city could not accommodate this increased growth, and squatter settlements of immigrants arose in previously undeveloped areas surrounding the city. These areas would not have been developed otherwise because of poor geographic conditions. The result has been a dramatic change in the shape of the city, with more development to the east and west of the center.
Completed as a project for World Urbanization at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn.
Other Links to Information on Colombia
Link to City Net, an index of cities around the world.