Transnational projects for resource extraction have motivated the development of massive infrastructural corridors. The strategic siting of mining towns, petrochemical encampments, and industrial developments aims to integrate vast geographical and political entities. These experiments promise to advance economic development on a national scale, but their influence on regional and urban constructs tests the agency of architecture and planning at smaller scales.
Colossal projects like the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA), is one of the most ambitious transcontinental integration projects planned for South America, with the participation of twelve countries in the region. IIRSA serves as the point of departure for conversations about issues of territory, resource extraction urbanism, and transnational negotiations. What is the role of architecture in shaping territories defined by raw resources? How can architecture develop tools to operate beyond the bounds of the traditional metropolis?
