Urban Planning Mexico

The concentration of population in the Valley of Mexico has historical roots . Here they settled various indigenous peoples and was the center of the Aztec Empire , the Viceroyalty and the present Republic , but it is clear that the rapid growth of population and the urban area is linked to the development of capitalism in our country , because from the beginning century , Mexico City has acted as a magnet for labor.

Beginning in 1930, the city exceeded its 12 barracks that was originally divided and rapidly begin to populate the delegations of the Federal District . From 1950 he continued decades delegations are exceeded and urban settlement growth invades the adjacent municipalities of Mexico State . " Thus, for 1980, the AMCM ( Metropolitan Area of Mexico City ) is constituted by the 16 delegations of Mexico City and 21 municipalities of the State of Mexico . " 1

In the decade of the eighties is emerging a new phenomenon : the integration of metropolitan areas of Mexico City and Toluca are a megalopolis and is expected " that by the year 2010 the metropolitan areas of Puebla and Cuernavaca megalopolitan join the cluster will have at least 31 million. " 2

This growth , underdevelopment product of capitalism , expressed in its people and in its standard of living for all purposes of the class structure and its inherent marginalization and all its contradictions . In the physical space are wide inequalities , as perceived social class living in high-income residential areas , luxurious and palatial houses with large gardens , occupying a large space per capita and a complete urban infrastructure which includes luxury shops, ornamental fountains, gardens and wide avenues , with monitoring and in some cases with limited access. This situation corresponds to a minority of the population.

The middle class expands and contracts according to the economic cycle and since 1982 has been significantly reduced their levels of real income and their standard of living , and resides in urban areas acceptable .

On the other hand , the vast majority living from rooftops , neighborhoods and popular areas with few services and low quality buildings , and others who live in marginalized sectors almost absolute misery belts "in the other city , which keeps hidden in mountains and glens ( ... ) reports streets ( ... ) houses of cardboard, wood or sheet ; malnourished children parasitosis bulging bellies , women who expect nothing sustained and virtually unemployed men who dream of that someday things will change . " 3

Growth has been generating increasingly complex problems , not just strictly urban , but social , political, economic and environmental . Any consideration of the issue requires consider whether growth will continue unchecked, without addressing the problems as a whole, applying palliative sometimes late , or measures to mitigate the problem far come to complicate it , or providing services to small groups and trying to convince people that I finally found the ultimate solution , but in the background are concerned electoral campaigns to improve the image of those who have contributed greatly to the development of the problem , if urban plans have result ineffective in practice and if we give up our political rights by failing to choose the rulers of Mexico .

The complexity of the problems are in fact an obstacle to growth and can occur anytime the collapse and we must consider that we are in a city in the process of extinction, disaster area , or emergency at least .

We wonder if it is time to develop and establish control of the growth of the city, if this is consistent with neoclassical philosophy of the regime , if it is possible to establish the human character of the population and if one day it will reach the right , as it has become a city without quality of life that is opposed to the idealization of the aspiring planner to design a town for the enjoyment of its inhabitants, contrary to an administrator recommend to solve the problems efficiently and contrary also the right of citizens to participate in decisions really , the evaluation of the results and in the choice of rulers based on management achievements .

The Department of Housing and Urban Development ( SEDUVI ) is the agency of the Government of the Federal District responsible for designing , coordinating and implementing urban policy of the City of Mexico .

The urban planning of our city includes the orientation of their growth , reclaiming public spaces , reviving disused areas , protection and conservation of the urban landscape and the promotion of self-sustainable social housing . These tasks seek the competitive development of the city , while promoting projects that have a positive impact on the quality of life of the inhabitants of Mexico City .

Among the actions that guide the work of the SEDUVI , are improving mobility, self-sustaining growth that spans conservation areas , maximizing use of urban land, productivity , equity and universal access.

The construction of housing units and residential areas on the outskirts of large cities in Mexico is causing serious ecological problems due to lack of agricultural reserves and nature reserves that allow filtration of rainwater and rivers into groundwater causing subsidence , erosion soil and groundwater depletion .

The formation of informal settlements in Mexico has been a very complex study of economic and social policies closely related to managed in the country. Normally this type of settlements lack of infrastructure and basic services such as potable water , drainage, electricity , and telephone in the beginning , over time these will providing services through self and community cooperation as most of its inhabitants from rural areas of the country.

Its residents are in a permanent state of legal and social insecurity because they live on land without the consent of their original owners and are subject to threats of eviction and denial of municipal services such as water , garbage collection , storm drainage , paving of streets and public transport, and lighting , among others.

Often are located in risk areas subject to environmental degradation and hazards . It complicates the implementation of basic services for its lack of urban planning and design , in addition to its rapid growth. Residents typically lack sufficient educational preparation and therefore they are not common in formal economic activities or adjacent level labor market .

Its inhabitants have higher risks of disease and higher mortality due to poverty levels and the negative influence of the environment where they live. Access to urban facilities such as schools , clinics , and social services is very limited. The public open space may be unsafe and inadequate for the needs of the community. Finally, the visible disparity between

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