#  Diane Davis Returns to São Paulo to Reimagine Latin American Cities 

 





May 20, 2025

 

 

- [ DRCLAS Brazil Office ](/news-categories/drclas-brazil-office)
 
 

 

Earlier this month, Harvard Professor Diane Davis traveled to São Paulo to participate in a series of events focused on urban transformation, resilience, and the evolving challenges facing Latin American cities. Her visit marked a deepening of her decades-long engagement with the region’s megacities, bringing together scholars, alumni, and private sector leaders for cross-disciplinary exchange.

On May 5 and 6, Davis took part in the *Colóquio Internacional: São Paulo e Buenos Aires Intermídias, A História em Imagens*, hosted by the University of São Paulo. The event brought together researchers from across Latin America to explore visual and multimedia representations of urban transformation in São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and, expanding the scope, Mexico City. Davis contributed to the discussion with insights grounded in her decades-long research on urbanization, spatial politics, and the socio-ecological challenges facing megacities. The colloquium served as a prelude to a second gathering set to take place at Harvard University in October 2025, supported by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS).

Highlighting the power of digital media and interdisciplinary approaches, the colloquium emphasized how alternative visual languages—from iconography to artificial intelligence—can help reveal hidden aspects of urban history and point toward more sustainable and inclusive futures for Latin American cities. The inclusion of Mexico City in the discussion echoed Davis’s longstanding work on the metropolis and its complex interplay of planning, governance, and social inequality.

Rounding out her visit, Davis joined a select group of Harvard alumni, academics, and private sector leaders for an informal conversation hosted at the Harvard DRCLAS Brazil Office. The session, titled "*Urban Resilience in Times of Climate Crisis*", was mediated by Pedro Henrique de Christo (HKS '11), with a focus on the urgent questions cities face amid escalating climate challenges. The gathering created a space for cross-sector exchange on adaptive urban strategies and the critical role of local actors in fostering resilience.

Together, the events highlighted the power of interdisciplinary and cross-sector dialogue in addressing the urgent challenges facing Latin American cities, highlighting how shared insights across fields and regions can contribute to more effective and equitable urban solutions.



 

 

 

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 See also:- [ Brazil ](/locations/brazil)
 
 

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