This paper is an examination of forces operating at geographical scales from global to local which help to explain the shelter conditions of the working class in Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador. To achieve such an empirical understanding, it is necessary to employ concepts and interpretations which themselves are social products and require close scrutiny. Considerable attention is therefore devoted to influences such as regional tension and perspective bias on interpretations of the cities by urban and housing experts. The principal sources of evidence are a household-level survey of shelter in Quito and Guayaquil, and a survey of housing professionals with regard to the interpretation of the shelter conditions and differences. Geographically based biases are prominent in the survey of housing experts, suggesting that research should examine these more carefully than in the past. The study concludes with a richer understanding of both the empirical reality of urban Ecuador and the frameworks and concepts used to interpret it.
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