When in 1976 the first models of the Latin American city were published, the subcontinent was still under the economical influence of the strategy of industrialization for imports substitution. Economic and planning processes, even in the urban space, were strongly directed by the State. Since this time, all Latin American countries -with the exception of Cuba- changed to a new economic paradigm, based on neoliberalism, and a strong influence of globalization is to be noticed. The retreat of the State, privatization and de-regulation allow investors, planners and citizens much more liberties. All this can be noticed in the structure of the cities. Therefore it is time to adapt the models, which should be generalizations of reality, to the now existing structure of the cities. In order to demonstrate the dynamics of urban structuring, the urban development is modelled in four eras which are identified as the period of the colonial town, the sectoral town, the polarised town and, at least, the fragmented town. The attempt was to keep as much elements of former models in the new one and to differ the newest period of urban development very clearly from the former epochs. © 2005 Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Estudios Urbanos Instituto de Estudios Urbanos y Territoriales.