Colonial Cities

Cities from the colonial era sometimes built on top infrastructure originally built by indigenous groups, as is the case in Mexico City. While this influences the layout of some major colonial cities, the actual planning was dictated from the Iberian Peninsula. Whether Spanish or Portuguese, a number of laws and regulations were implemented to ensure a standard quality was used throughout the Americas. These "City Planning Ordinances" included the width of streets, the location of commercial buildings, and the square or rectangular shape of the plaza. Therefore, while the shape and size of the plaza may differ, what is located within the plazas is largely the same. For example, whether you are in Santo Domingo or Lima, you will find the oldest church, government buildings and commercial spaces.

Colonial cities used as ports were required to have their plazas built "at the landing place of the port" unless the settlement was located inland. Inland planning can be seen in the example of Lima. While it was a major port during the colonial period, the plaza was constructed in the center of the settlement far from the coast. These plazas also shared architectural similarities, including porticos used for the convenience of commerce and use of government buildings. Residential areas then grew outward from these central plazas, creating the city centers of many of the Latin America's largest cities.