Urban Seminar with Simone Vegliò “Urbanization, logistical infrastructures, and (neo)extractive operations: the ‘planetary’ making of Dock Sud, Buenos Aires”

• 14:15 - 16:00
• NI:C0929

As part of an ongoing research project, this presentation will discuss the socio-material and political aspects about the making of Dock Sud area in the South of Buenos Aires. The area is marked by the simultaneous presence of a commercial port of regional importance, the largest petrochemical compound in the country, one of the most polluted rivers in the world (the Matanza-Riachuelo river), and several precarious urban settlements (e.g. Villa Inflamable and Villa Tranquila). The presentation will particularly explore three aspects concerning this research: 1) It will examine how (neo)extractive and logistical activities took a specific urban expression in Dock Sud, highlighting the material and environmental impact they had since the beginning of the twentieth century; 2) It will illustrate the more recent socio-material conflicts in Dock Sud, especially regarding the marginalization and segregation of vulnerable sectors of the urban population; 3) It will propose some theoretical insights into this case, reflecting on the political dynamics between national and global actors, speculating on the “special nature” of urban areas marked by the presence of logistical and (neo)extractive operations.