Claudia Murray is a research fellow at the School of Real Estate and Planning, University of Reading. Her research interests focus on the socio-cultural and economic implications of rural and urban development of the built environment.

“Written in a clear engaging way and beautifully illustrated, this excellent original scholarly study of Buenos Aires in the late eighteenth century based on archival research not only adds greatly to our knowledge of the history of urban planning and architecture in Latin America but also reveals new thinking about how societies were seeking to reflect their status on the eve of independence.” — Linda Newson, Emeritus Professor, Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of London, UK.

• List of Figures and Tables; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The Spanish Empire before the Bourbon Reforms; 2. The River Plate before 1776 and the Bourbon Reforms; 3. Urban Expansion; 4. The Image of Power; 5. Ceremonies of Power; 6. Disciplining Porteños’ Private Architecture; 7. The British Assault on the River Plate; Appendix 1; Bibliography; Index

Claudia Murray is a research fellow at the School of Real Estate and Planning, University of Reading. Her research interests focus on the socio-cultural and economic implications of rural and urban development of the built environment.

“Written in a clear engaging way and beautifully illustrated, this excellent original scholarly study of Buenos Aires in the late eighteenth century based on archival research not only adds greatly to our knowledge of the history of urban planning and architecture in Latin America but also reveals new thinking about how societies were seeking to reflect their status on the eve of independence.” — Linda Newson, Emeritus Professor, Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, University of London, UK.

• List of Figures and Tables; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The Spanish Empire before the Bourbon Reforms; 2. The River Plate before 1776 and the Bourbon Reforms; 3. Urban Expansion; 4. The Image of Power; 5. Ceremonies of Power; 6. Disciplining Porteños’ Private Architecture; 7. The British Assault on the River Plate; Appendix 1; Bibliography; Index