Leandro Benmergui

Leandro Benmergui is an Associate Professor of History at Purchase College, State University of New York, affiliated with the School of Humanities and Department of History. He chairs the Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies program, directs Casa Purchase, An Outreach Center for Latin American Studies, and co-directs the NEH-funded VOCES initiative. His work bridges history, urban planning, and sociology through a transnational lens.

• Education: BA from Universidad de Buenos Aires, PhD in History from University of Maryland

His research examines urban renewal and housing programs in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro during the Cold War, focusing on social and cultural history of informal settlements, transnational urbanism, and state-led housing policies. Current projects include a book analyzing transnational housing history and poverty narratives through multidisciplinary approaches.

Selected publications reveal trends in 20th-century Latin American urbanism, including modernist housing failures, authoritarian urban policies, and evanescent architecture. His work spans comparative analyses of Buenos Aires villas and Rio de Janeiro favelas, with interests in memory studies and social engineering.

• Scientific Awards: Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service

As book review editor for Planning Perspectives and host of the Pensamiento Urbano podcast, he advances dialogue on Latin American urban history. Office hours: Wednesdays 10:30-12:30 by appointment.