<![CDATA[The historiography of architecture and urbanism in Latin America has evolved from an initial emphasis on inventory toward critical interpretation of the complexities underlying regional modernity. This article examines the persistent dialectical tension between the assimilation of exogenous models and the construction of a distinct Latin American identity, with particular attention to the national-modern period (1929–1939), when pavilions at international expositions functioned as prominent instruments of self-representation and avant-garde expression. It critically analyzes how accelerated and disordered urban growth has produced fragmented urbanization and pronounced socio-spatial segregation in emerging peripheries, excluding substantial population groups from the benefits of the formal metropolis. Within this context, intermediate cities emerge as strategic laboratories for adapting external instruments such as strategic urban planning and facilitating a transition from unidirectional social engineering toward participatory governance and paradiplomacy. The analysis further identifies the emergence of collective architecture as a redefinition of professional practice in which architects act as community interpreters and prioritize social management and local materials over the production of physical structures alone. By incorporating the operational category of collective form, the study conceptualizes informal settlements as complex functional systems that challenge conventional planning approaches. It concludes that the preservation and valuation of modern architectural heritage must move beyond the transfer of finished products toward collaborative exchanges of processes. This perspective contributes to critical Latin American architectural historiography and supports urban practices that promote dignity, participation, and citizenship.]]>
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