The Special Period (of War) in Time of Peace began in Cuba with the end of the Cold War in 1990. At that time, the nation was abandoned by the Soviet Union. Dire economic circumstances were further complicated by a tightening of US sanctions against the island nation. In the absence of the Cold War and its sponsors, Havana was forced to look for ways to solve its social and … [Read more...] about Havana: The Special Period
Havana
Havana (Cuba): A Cold War City No More
Note: This will be our last regular post until fall. Over the summer, you can follow @coldwarstudies on Twitter. You can also join the Cold War Studies Facebook community. We'd love to have you. Meanwhile, have a wonderful summer and we'll see you in September. By the mid 1980s, Havana was receiving more military assistance from the Soviet Union than ever before. Moreover, … [Read more...] about Havana (Cuba): A Cold War City No More
Cold War Havana: UNESCO World Heritage
As we saw in our post on Havana's Urban Slum Areas, substandard housing and shantytowns were of great concern to the Cuban government. Budgets for maintenance and repair of housing and community facilities increased dramatically as a result of complaints expressed in meeting help periodically between local People's Power delegates and their constituents, challenging the … [Read more...] about Cold War Havana: UNESCO World Heritage
Cold War Havana: Urban Slum Areas
The attention of Havana's planners in the early 1970s turned to urban slum areas. The inner city had suffered considerable decay in the 1960s and much of Havana's housing stock was in substandard condition. One such area was Cayo Hueso, a neighborhood bordering the downtown commercial area of Centro Havana where Cuba's first major urban development project took place. … [Read more...] about Cold War Havana: Urban Slum Areas
HAVANA BEFORE THE COLD WAR
With a population of 935,650 inhabitants, 1945 Havana covered an area of 724 square kilometers. The city was composed of six counties or municipios: La Habana, Marianao, Regla, Guanabacoa, Santa Maria del Rosario, and Santiago de las Vegas. The six municipios had quite different characteristics. Like most cities in the developing world, post World War II Havana reflected … [Read more...] about HAVANA BEFORE THE COLD WAR
