Villa 31
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| Villa 31 | |
|---|---|
 Unknown authorUnknown author · CC BY 2.5 ar · source | |
| Name | Villa 31 |
| Other name | Barrio 31 |
| Settlement type | Informal settlement |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | Argentina |
| Subdivision type1 | Autonomous City |
| Subdivision name1 | Buenos Aires |
| Established title | Founded |
| Established date | 1930s |
| Population total | 17,000–40,000 |
| Population as of | 2010s–2020s estimates |
| Timezone | Argentina Time |
Villa 31 is a large informal settlement located in the central district of Buenos Aires, Argentina, adjacent to the Retiro railway station and the Puerto Madero waterfront. Originating in the early 20th century, it has been a focal point of debates involving Mayoralty of Buenos Aires, federal administrations of Argentina, urban planners from UN-Habitat, and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. The settlement exemplifies tensions among property developers like IRSA, transport agencies including Trenes Argentinos, and social movements such as the Movimiento Evita and REFORMA activists.
History
Villa 31 emerged during the 1930s amid internal migration driven by industrialization in Argentina and immigration waves connected to Italian Argentines, Spanish Argentines, and later Paraguayan Argentines and Bolivian Argentines. Its early growth intersected with infrastructure projects by Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway and later state entities like Ferrocarriles Argentinos. Throughout the 20th century the site was influenced by policy shifts under presidents including Juan Perón, Raúl Alfonsín, Carlos Menem, and Néstor Kirchner, while municipal administrations led by mayors such as Aníbal Ibarra, Mauricio Macri, and Horacio Rodríguez Larreta enacted varied approaches. International attention rose during urban renewal initiatives linked to World Bank programs and regional forums like the Union of South American Nations. Legal disputes invoked courts including the Supreme Court of Argentina and provincial tribunals, and advocacy drew on precedents from cases in São Paulo, Bogotá, and Mexico City.
Geography and layout
The settlement occupies land next to the central rail hub at Retiro railway station, bordered by the Puerto Madero docks, the Avenida 9 de Julio, and the Paraná Delta corridor influence on metropolitan hydrology. Its streets are an irregular network radiating from access points near Torre Monumental and linking informal parcels to formal blocks such as in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires and Monserrat, Buenos Aires. Built environment features include mixed masonry and corrugated-metal dwellings, community centers near Plaza San Martín, and proximity to transport nodes serving Subte Line C and commuter rails to Constitución railway station and Once railway station.
Demographics and society
Residents include Argentine-born families with ancestry tied to Italian Argentines, Spanish Argentines, Syrian-Lebanese Argentines, and immigrant communities from Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela. Population estimates vary, cited by municipal censuses and NGOs such as CIPPEC and Fundación Urbano; figures range from tens of thousands to fluctuating counts due to mobility linked to labor markets around Puerto Madero and the Buenos Aires Central Business District. Social organizations active locally include Movimiento Barrios de Pie, Corriente Clasista y Combativa, and parish networks associated with the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. Health and education initiatives have involved institutions such as Hospital Ramos Mejía, Hospital Garrahan, and the University of Buenos Aires, which run outreach programs.
Economy and informal housing
Local economies combine informal commerce, domestic services for upscale districts like Puerto Madero, construction labor tied to firms such as Bouygues and national contractors, and small-scale entrepreneurship in markets resembling those studied by ILO reports. Housing tenure involves a mixture of squatting on state-owned land, informal rental arrangements, and negotiated regularization processes promoted by policies from the Ministry of Territorial Development and Habitat and municipal planning agencies. Microcredit programs from entities like Banco Nación and cooperative housing projects coordinated with Habitat for Humanity and local NGOs have aimed to integrate informal dwellings into broader urban frameworks.
Urban policies and redevelopment
Redevelopment proposals have pitted private developers including IRSA against social movements and public institutions during administrations of Mauricio Macri and Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. Plans ranged from clearance and relocation schemes to in-situ upgrading proposals advocated by UN-Habitat and academic teams from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and University of Buenos Aires Faculty of Architecture. Legislative instruments invoked include municipal ordinances from the Buenos Aires City Legislature and national housing laws overseen by the Ministry of Interior, Public Works and Housing. International actors such as the Inter-American Development Bank have at times conditioned funding on resettlement safeguards, echoing precedents in Chile and Colombia.
Culture and community initiatives
Cultural life features popular music, tango influences connecting to venues like La Catedral Club, street muralism inspired by movements in Patagonia and Córdoba, Argentina, and theaters coordinated with organizations such as Teatro Cervantes outreach. Community centers run literacy and arts programs with partnerships involving the Mercosur Cultural Program, labor unions like the Unión Obrera Metalúrgica, and faith-based groups tied to Francis-era papal outreach from the Vatican. Festivals and neighborhood publications collaborate with media outlets including Página/12, Clarín, and community radio initiatives modeled on Radio Universidad.
Notable events and controversies
Key controversies include eviction orders challenged in the Supreme Court of Argentina, public protests organized by Movimiento Evita and Unión de Trabajadores de la Economía Popular, and high-profile interventions during municipal administrations of Mauricio Macri, which prompted international commentary from Amnesty International and research by Human Rights Watch. Notable events include large-scale upgrading inaugurations attended by national ministers from the Ministry of Social Development and visits from figures such as Pope Francis during his tenure as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as well as investigative reports by journalists from The New York Times, The Guardian, and BBC News.