# Cities and Mountains: The Andes



## JuanPaulo (Feb 26, 2004)

In very few places in the world have cities blossomed "in the mountains" as opposed to "by the mountains". I thought I'd make this thread about the Andean cities to see your opinions and thoughts on various urban and architectural aspects of these population conglomerates. Please feel free to comment and give any feedback! Hope you enjoy the collection of pictures.

*1. *Most of the Andean cities (with few exceptions) are located in the Interandean Valleys between the Eastern, Central, and Western Ranges. Do you find it interesting that these cities have developed in such constrained and inaccessible spaces?

*2. *Because of the geographic limitations of the valleys where these cities are located, high density highrise areas are the norm. Are you surprised by the density of the Andean Cities?

*3. *The use of brick and other earth-toned stone type materials is very popular in the region. What are your thoughts on this material choice? 

*4.* Topography plays a major roll in the urban frabric of these cities. What is your general opinion on the topography of these cities? Do you agree or disagree with the legal and/or illegal urbanization of the mountain foothills?

*5.* Last but not least, the natural setting of these cities is considered one of their best assets. Does the urban development against the mountain backdrop strike you as unique? Would you rather be next to a large body of water?


*Bogota, Colombia*
Elevation 8,661 ft / 2,640 m
Population 7,8810,000

 

 

 


*Medellin, Colombia*
Elevation 5,044 ft / 1,538 m
Population 3,000,000










  

 


*Cali, Colombia*
Elevation 3,280 ft / 1,000 m
Population 2,225,000





























*Quito, Ecuador*
Elevation 9,350 ft / 2,850 m
Population 2,000,000






































*La Paz, Bolivia*
Elevation 11,910 ft / 3,631 m
Population 1,250,000





 


*Santiago, Chile*
Elevation 1,700 ft / 520m
Population 6,250,000


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## KB (Feb 22, 2006)

I love cities surrounded by mountains. 
:happy:

Btw, are cities near the Andes prone to earthquakes?


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## JuanPaulo (Feb 26, 2004)

kbboy said:


> I love cities surrounded by mountains.
> :happy:
> 
> Btw, are cities near the Andes prone to earthquakes?


Yes, they are prone to earthquakes resulting from the subduction of the nazca plate (southeastern pacific ocean plate) under the South American plate (this is how the Andes were created in the first place). Also, a handful of these cities are subject to earthquakes that are generated because of nearby volcanic activity.


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## krull (Oct 8, 2005)

Those are some of the best shots I have seen for most of these cities! Thanks for posting them! kay:


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## Delirium (Oct 8, 2005)

The red-Brown Colour of those Colombian Cities add an extra dimension to them.

Im Guessing South American Cities are relatively unique given their size but perhaps there are cities in China that would rival them such as Hong kong?

also What about Caracas?


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## JuanPaulo (Feb 26, 2004)

^^ Thank you Krull! :cheers:


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

helium said:


> The red-Brown Colour of those Colombian Cities add an extra dimension to them.
> 
> Im Guessing South American Cities are relatively unique given their size but perhaps there are cities in China that would rival them such as Hong kong?
> 
> also What about Caracas?


Yes Caracas is also a high altitude city. Yes most of the major Chinese cities can rival them. The only difference is most of them are within sea level.


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## gonzo (Jul 30, 2006)

Yeah, Caracas is higher than I would have expected (900 m)....it being close to the sea.

Santiago is lower than I expected...although it isn't very far from the sea either (Valparaiso).


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## JuanPaulo (Feb 26, 2004)

gonzo said:


> Yeah, Caracas is higher than I would have expected (900 m)....it being close to the sea.
> 
> Santiago is lower than I expected...although it isn't very far from the sea either (Valparaiso).


While Caracas is at a higher elevation than Santiago, it is not considered and Andean city. Caracas lies on the foothills of a coastal range that runs east west accross the northern coast of South America (not the Andes). The Andes actually terminate on western Venezuela near lake Maracaibo. There are Andean cities in Venezuela, such as Merida. However, they are small compared to the cities shown in this thread.

I have to admit though that Caracas does have urban and geographical similarities to some of the Andean cities like Bogota and Quito :cheers:


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## Maxx☢Power (Nov 16, 2005)

Great! I've always found these cities fascinating. They have a certain adventurous and fairy-tale-like aura to them.


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## zachus22 (Dec 4, 2006)

It's actually really true what you said about the Andes Cities (and mountain cities in general) being more densely populated. Hong Kong, Vancouver, LA, and I can't think of any others because I'm retarded, but you catch my drift.


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## infernal (May 27, 2007)

a lot of those cities can't host the WC, like Bogota
higher than 2,500 meters. Lack of oxygen


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## gonzo (Jul 30, 2006)

JuanPaulo said:


> While Caracas is at a higher elevation than Santiago, it is not considered and Andean city. Caracas lies on the foothills of a coastal range that runs east west accross the northern coast of South America (not the Andes). The Andes actually terminate on western Venezuela near lake Maracaibo. There are Andean cities in Venezuela, such as Merida. However, they are small compared to the cities shown in this thread.
> 
> I have to admit though that Caracas does have urban and geographical similarities to some of the Andean cities like Bogota and Quito :cheers:


Interesante.:cheers:


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## null (Dec 11, 2002)

Impressive!


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

Jogging in La Paz must be tough...


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## unoh (Aug 13, 2005)

Hong Kong is the city with mountains too.


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## _00_deathscar (Mar 16, 2005)

^ That's precisely what the original poster doesn't mean - Hong Kong, for the large part is built at sea-level, with a few secluded and expensive buildings, mostly residential, in the mountains, as opposed to being built at great elevations ABOVE sea level.


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## _00_deathscar (Mar 16, 2005)

WANCH said:


> Yes Caracas is also a high altitude city. *Yes most of the major Chinese cities can rival them. The only difference is most of them are within sea level*.


You do realise you've just contradicted yourself right there in the space of two consecutive sentences right?


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## CITYofDREAMS (Jan 20, 2007)

These Andean cities look very impressive... Keep them coming.


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## JuanPaulo (Feb 26, 2004)

eklips said:


> Jogging in La Paz must be tough...


Even walking in La Paz is tough! La Paz and Quito always have an advantage for sport tournaments when they get to play at home. The visiting team always has to get there with plenty of time in advance....and even so they typically do not get fully adjusted before the event. I wonder how would a soccer worldcup or summer olympics would unfold in these places....interesting!


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