Neoliberalism, urban economic restructuring and informality: The widespread adoption of neoliberal reforms during the past quarter century has had profound implications for the livelihoods of those who live – and work – in cities throughout Latin America. Drawing on field research and a large household survey, this project builds directly on recent research about the changing nature of work and the role of informality as a livelihood strategy in Latin America and attempts to explain how place-specific patterns of informal employment emerge from neoliberal reforms and concomitant urban economic restructuring.

Globalization and the transformation of food retailing landscapes in a Latin American city: This project represents the final installment in a trilogy of papers exploring the implications of the “walmartization” of food retailing in Mexico. Specifically, this study examines how the interplay of global economic forces and territorial embeddedness have transformed the competitive strategies and business practices of “indigenous” food retailers in Mérida, Mexico.