The Research Program of Viñoly published Pressures and Distortions: City Dwellers as Builders and Critics. The book represents the culmination of a three-year research process organized and funded by the Research Program. In it, four teams of researchers analyze how residents are designing, building, and interpreting cities in the face of wrenching transformations. The cities chronicled in depth include examples from China (Shanghai and Shenzhen), Latin America (Bogota and Mexico City), and Indonesia (Banda Aceh). Shorter sections cover Lima and Rio de Janeiro. The authors show how residents respond creatively to environmental disaster, poverty, housing shortages, and surging urban population. They also show how governments, international relief agencies, architects, and planners can shape better urban environments. Throughout, the experiences of residents are presented through their own words and through careful documentation of their living environments
