This work investigates the rapid transformation of Buenos Aires from a colonial plaza-centered town into a sprawling, modern metropolis between 1870 and 1910. James R. Scobie, a distinguished historian of Latin America, utilizes extensive archival data, census records, and contemporary urban planning documents to analyze the socioeconomic forces driving this expansion. He argues that the city's growth was not merely physical but a reflection of shifting social hierarchies, immigration patterns, and the integration of Argentina into the global capitalist economy.

Historians and urban planners frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the development of Latin American cities during the late nineteenth century. The prose is noted for its academic rigor and its ability to synthesize complex demographic data into a coherent narrative of urban evolution.