Residential

The urban structure of MABA is characterised by great differences, given in first instance by its distribution in different metropolitan rings. In second place, there are big variations relative to residential structure respecting other mixed structures. The MABA is a complex in which diverse structures succeed one another defining sub-centres, corridors and neighbourhoods very different from each other. As we move away from the first ring, the differences between absolute densities per block and densities per block for residential use become less evident. This indicates the decrease of the specific weight of the territories affected to production. Even though the incidence of agglomeration decreases the residential use prevails simultaneously over other uses.
In general terms, the typical settlement in the City of Buenos Aires is in blocks, even though there are frequently atypical, radial, concentric, diagonal drawings, on rectangular blocks, etc.. The most frequent alteration of this criterion is observed in the big housing projects built by the State, where the plan of the housing area does not reproduce the logic of the lot division, but the implanting of autonomous volumes in an "open" area, following the urbanistic patterns of the "Letter of Athens" (as a result of the IV International Congress of Modern Architecture, in 1941, this document points out four functions as key issues of urbanism: inhabit, work, recreate and circulate). Other residential patterns of settlement have appeared in the framework of legislation requiring previous urban studies. The first, known as Country Club, has specialised in second residence (week-end) and is developed, generally, in a not subdivided lot on very low densities. The increment of irregular settlements keeps a relationship with the difficulty of accessible land for the popular sectors.
The consolidation of urban areas is generally followed by a rise in the value of properties. The first urbanisation induces a second one, where new social sectors push over the previous settlers. This produces, by the effect of market laws, a noticeable transformation of the neighbourhood. This is typical of some sectors of the first and second ring. Nevertheless, there are factors that buffer this trend, strengthening the roots of the old populations in their settlements. On the other hand, the existence of favourable conditions for the location of productive activities tends towards the transformation of housing into industries, which also implies a migration of the population. The characteristics of the third ring is that the urban area extends over rural areas through a process of subdivision of land. In this stage, on the border lands settle frequently brick manufacturers and quarries. In a second stage, the building of housing projects multiply, giving rise to pavement, equipment, commerce, services, etc., that define the internal structure of the residential area. This is characteristic of the second ring. In a third stage, the self-constructed city presents an important profile of consolidation, when a qualification of the built space is produced. This stage is not developed uniformly; in areas where the presence of productive activities is very important, this process presents greater resistance. In the second ring, where this presence is less frequent, this transference of the popular residential areas towards the middle sectors is much more evident. The transformation of neighbourhoods of second residence into permanent residence of middle-high sectors is a trend verified in the North area. This new pattern corresponding to young sectors of high socio-economic level, indicates a certain valuation of non urbanised areas. The consolidation of these rich neighbourhoods in poor surroundings is very conflictive, causing an evident strengthening of private security systems, implementing ways of exclusion as rule for living together.
The city consolidates around a system of centres and corridors. A system of attraction towards the different scales of centre will allow the formulation of magnetic relationships in the link between centres and residential areas. On the other hand, a mobile city coexists that questions the nature of this centrality, proposing the location of new centralities in new sites. The consequence of this trend, which identifies the massification of the individual car as a condition for its implementation, is that of an extensive weave of low density, on which buildings concentrating elements of centrality are located on a relatively temporary basis. The dislocation and the agile circulation breaks the limits between the urban and the rural, the productive and the residential, centre and periphery. This pattern of settlement models the northern area of the city, from the area of Pacheco following the Panamericana highway.

Return to index