The informal economy contributes significantly to the wealth of many cities worldwide, but local legislators rarely recognise the rights of informal workers to use public space. Tania Espinosa Sánchez from WIEGO shares critical insights from Ciudad de México.
Mexican cities feature an array of innovative market formats, redefining producer-consumer relationships while creating interactive, public spaces at the same time. Jorge Javier and Dr Cecilia Tortajada on the reinvention of old institutions.
Noise is one of the top environmental hazards. Facing ever-growing cities, one wonders: is there anything we can do? Yes, there is. Jimena de Gortari Ludlow, expert in urban acoustics, examines the unique soundscape of the world’s fifth largest city and offers practical solutions.
In neglected parts of Mexico City, the work of the NGO ENSAMBLE shows how investing into community and togetherness can change poor urban areas for the better, including all residents in a highly participative process.
Water is a central issue for urban development in Mexico. Groundwater is overexploited, and there is a lack of wastewater treatment facilities. Jorge Silva reviews government programmes that aim to solve the problem.
It is well-known that Mexico City counts among the five largest cities in the world. Yet, the history of urbanisation in the country has more interesting facts to offer. Learn more in URBANET’s latest series of infographics.
Citizens of Mexico City face serious health issues – due to failures in urban planning, says Auribel Villa. Green infrastructure development significantly supports cities' ways towards becoming healthier and thus more liveable.
In Mexico City, residents organised to convince the city government to build a public park instead of developing an area for office buildings. The Parque Imán can serve as an example for successfully greening neighbourhoods, and reclaiming public space in a participatory and transparent manner.
What are the most pressing issues in low income housing? How can cities be given better opportunities to realise sustainable development? What are the key issues of sustainable urban development? Ani Dasgupta, Global Director of the WRI Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities, spoke to URBANET about how to tackle these questions and why scaling and counting are important when working towards sustainable urban development.
