Claiming a place in the global city: Urban regeneration and Latin American spaces in London

This article focuses on the presence of Latin American businesses in Elephant & Castle (E&C), a deprived area in the centre of London that is undergoing an ambitious program of urban redevelopment that will see the area developed into the new ‘thriving quarter of Central London’. The purpose of this article is to uncover the circumstances under which Latin American retailers re-negotiate their place in E&C and to document and understand their involvement and engagement with the local government. The meaning of places, scales of locality and local identity are central to the argument that Elephant and Castle’s location is an asset to the vision of London as a global city with desirable city dwelling near global financial and commercial districts. The article interrogates attempts to raise Elephant and Castle’s position within the urban hierarchy of London and considers the impact of these changes for Latin American retailers

La noche y el control de la vida citadina: reflexiones sobre el Código de Orden Público del Viejo San Juan

Este ensayo es un intento de reflexionar sobre la ciudad nocturna y las políticas que la regulan, en este caso atadas a formas de pensar sobre la noche y la calle. El propósito de la autora es exponer la complejidad y las contradicciones que encara el análisis del nuevo Código de Orden Público del Viejo San Juan, luego extendido al centro de Río Piedras y Santurce, Puerto Rico. Tal como su nombre sugiere, este Código pretende establecer unas normas de comportamiento que regulen el uso del espacio público urbano, específicamente la calle, durante las noches. La intención de la autora no es la de establecer juicios morales sobre la criminalidad, el desorden, el orden o la estética de la ciudad. Más bien le interesa explorar la paradójica dinámica que se generó a partir del Código, específicamente en cuanto al papel del gobierno local y la participación de los jóvenes en el Viejo San Juan

"Ciudades Ordinarias" entrevista a Jennifer Robinson

"Ciudades Ordinarias" entrevista a Jennifer Robinso

Introduction to the special issue: The making of the Caribbean not-so-natural disasters

Introduction to the special issue: The making of the Caribbean not-so-natural disaster

Socio-economic value at the Elephant and Castle

‘Socio-Economic Value at the Elephant and Castle’ is a collaborative research project between Latin Elephant, Loughborough University and the Cities Programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The project supplements the existing research conducted by Latin Elephant on the spaces and practices of trade at the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, which highlights the role of ethnic minority and migrant transactions. This report expands on the spatial, social and economic value forged by micro-economic and independent retail activity at the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre and argues for its recognition in the current redevelopment processes. A draft of this report was supplied as additional evidence supporting Latin Elephant’s ‘Objection to Planning Application, Elephant and Castle Town Centre and LCC Campus at the EC (ref: 16/AP/4458)’ in July 2018. Following Southwark Council’s Planning Committee approval of Delancey’s plan to demolish the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre as part of wider regeneration plans, the application will be analysed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, for final approval by the Greater London Authority (GLA). This report provides additional evidence to the existing advocacy of Latin Elephant that calls for the GLA to protect the 130 independent, largely BAME traders who are currently within the red line designation for development. The report highlights the need for a wider recognition of the importance of protecting affordable workspace in the context of current regeneration and displacement processes in London

Socio-economic value at the Elephant & Castle

‘Socio-Economic Value at the Elephant and Castle’ is a collaborative research project between Latin Elephant, Loughborough University and the Cities Programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The project supplements the existing research conducted by Latin Elephant on the spaces and practices of trade at the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre (Figure 1), which highlights the role of ethnic minority and migrant transactions. This report expands on the spatial, social and economic value forged by micro-economic and independent retail activity at the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre and argues for its recognition in the current redevelopment processes. A draft of this report was supplied as additional evidence supporting Latin Elephant’s ‘Objection to Planning Application, Elephant and Castle Town Centre and LCC Campus at the EC (ref: 16/AP/4458)’ in July 2018. Following Southwark Council’s Planning Committee approval of Delancey’s plan to demolish the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre as part of wider regeneration plans, the application will be analysed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, for final approval by the Greater London Authority (GLA). This report provides additional evidence to the existing advocacy of Latin Elephant that calls for the GLA to protect the 130 independent, largely BAME traders who are currently within the red line designation for development. The report highlights the need for a wider recognition of the importance of protecting affordable workspace in the context of current regeneration and displacement processes in London

Latin Americans in London: Claims over the identity of place as destination

This chapter focuses on the presence of Latin American businesses in Elephant & Castle (E&C) a deprived area of London that is undergoing an ambitious programmes of urban redevelopment. Latin American retailers started setting up businesses in the E&C at the beginning of the 1990s and over 20 years have transformed the area and in the process contributed to a distinctive ‘Latin Quarter'. This presence however is now under threat. The redevelopment plans for E&C has been received with scepticism by Latin American retailers who despite welcoming some of these changes, fear for their sustainability and future presence in the area. The chapter documents these changes by relying on visual records and documentary evidence based on ethnographic research and in-depth interviews conducted at various times throughout the last twenty years

The Making of Latin London: Salsa Music, Place and Identity

An examination of how Latin American people and cultural practices have moved from between continents, exploring how Latin Americans experience this process and what part different people play in re-making Latin identities in the neighbourhoods, parks, bars and dance clubs of London