Why are the sidewalks in Buenos Aires so messed up?
Not in the swanky neighborhood of Recoleta, but in most neighborhoodsa sidewalk is an obstacle course. Not even including the dog shit.
Each property owner seems to be responsible for the pavers in front of his or her building, so every thirty feet or so there is a different material in a different pattern. But each patch has gaping holes. Maybe the different tiles bash up against each other. Or maybe they don’t lay enough drainage under them. I wondered if crews come out at night to trash the sidewalks so that crews can be hired during the day to fix them. Here’s a theory from a cynical friend: people don’t sue each other enough. An Argentine acquaintance said it’s “corruption”. But you can have plenty of corruption and decent sidewalks.
A mystery.
Another mystery
David Prowler Blog 
the above pics show actually pretty ‘nice’ sidewalks compared to the place I live – a flat, dull city in southern Argentina. I have some vision problems and dread going out, and people don’t seem to understand why. I sometimes wonder if people get ‘used’ to poor accessibility because they haven’t known anything else – so they mock people who are afraid to face the obstacle ridden outdoor walkways.