Last month, the LAC Cities Collective kicked off its 2024-2025 Speaker Series with an extraordinary visit from Dr. Bjørn Sletto, Professor of Community and Regional Planning at the University of Texas at Austin. This event, led by faculty members—Prof. Magdalena Novoa (Urban Planning), Prof. Nikolai Alvarado (Geography), and Prof. David Isern (Architecture)—brought together a large group of students and faculty excited to engage in this conversation.
Dr. Sletto's presentation delved into the critical need for decolonizing planning research, emphasizing the importance of engaging respectfully with diverse ontological positions and epistemological perspectives. Drawing from his extensive research with Indigenous communities in Venezuela, residents of informal settlements in the Dominican Republic, and environmental justice advocates in Austin, Texas, he shared insightful stories that highlighted the complexities and opportunities arising from transboundary, place-based research.
The following day, Dr. Sletto offered a participatory mapping workshop over breakfast, where students and faculty co-produced knowledge and shared their stories. The enthusiasm in the room was palpable, with participants learning from one another and exploring innovative approaches to urban planning and community engagement.
Dr. Sletto's work lies at the intersection of insurgent and decolonial planning, community-based research, and environmental justice. He is the co-editor of Radical Cartographies: Participatory Mapmaking from Latin America (UT Press) and the forthcoming Decolonizing Planning: Power and Knowledge in the Informal City (Edward Elgar Publishing). His commitment to activist scholarship enriches our understanding of Indigenous territoriality, urban informality, and participatory practices.
The LAC Cities Collective looks forward to continuing this important conversation and fostering further collaboration in the upcoming speaker series.
Stay tuned for more events that inspire dialogue about the most relevant issues in the Latin American and Caribbean region!
