An approach to urbanism in Argentina: urban types and their evolution over four hundred years

From the colonisation of the present Argentine territory by the Spaniards onwards, the foundation of towns and villages implied the effective occupation of the land. Towns were settled along the main commercial routes, while villages appeared in relation with the defence of the frontiers or the exploitation of natural resources. Most urban centres were the result of a pre-existing plan that included an urban layout and a plots system. After independence from Spain, new towns and villages were founded, especially in territories that had not been occupied in colonial times. The regular grid pattern layout introduced by the Spaniards continued to be predominant up to the twentieth century, something that allows us to refer to the typical Argentine urban feature and to its presence in the country's cultural identity. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the evolution of the most typical urban layout over four hundred years, including reference to the present situation of the main Argentine cities.