The dialogic constitution of model cities: the circulation, encounters and critiques of the Barcelona model in Latin America

Abstract

Model cities are exemplary cases representing a particular policy and/or practice approach. The external gaze is a necessary condition in the attainment of such prestige and city leaders often engage in promotional activities to boost the reputation of their cities while audiences attempt to translate references into usable knowledge. However, there has been limited attention to how external audiences are implicated in the ‘modelling’ process, as promoters refine their strategies through encounters of knowledge exchange and through critical reflection. This article examines the backstories of the connections that have facilitated the circulation of planning practices developed in Barcelona as a model for Latin American cities. We use the notion of retro-transfer to consider not only the activities of Catalan promoters in the region, but also the implications of these encounters to subsequent circulations, exemplifying a more complex dynamic in the transnational flows of planning knowledge. We argue that this approach is required to appreciate how models are constituted through a dialogic process involving both ‘exporters’ and ‘importers’. In this sense, experiences with the promotion of project-led planning and strategic planning in Latin America can be seen as formative to the articulation of the Barcelona model and its subsequent travels.