City Case Study: Mexico City

Aerial View of Mexico City (Unsplash)

Mexico City is known for its vibrant and rich cultural heritage. At the same time, with its urban population doubling between 1980 and 2010, Mexico City has suffered in recent years from urban sprawl, social fragmentation and environmental challenges that have led to a sense of disconnectedness within the city. Yet Mexico City has responded to these challenges by taking strides in implementing initiatives for the creation of a liveable, vibrant and sustainable urban community.

Improving Accessibility for Citizens

As a key part of Mexico City’s efforts to enhance its liveability, the government has launched an array of initiatives and policies to catalyse change through infrastructure.

For example, it has made bold investments in public transportation to improve accessibility. In 2021, a new cable car line was launched to provide low-income neighbourhoods greater connectivity to more amenities in the city. To encourage sustainable mobility, the government initiated Ecobici, a bicycle-sharing programme offering bicycles for public use, and established dedicated bike lanes throughout the city.401 Mexico City’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, operational since 2005, is a high-capacity bus system that operates on dedicated lanes to provide fast, efficient and reliable public transportation across the city. Altogether, Mexico City’s transportation initiatives demonstrate a commitment to creating a more efficient, sustainable and accessible urban transport system.

Since 2019, Mexico City has rapidly expanded its free public Wi-Fi hotspot network to bridge the digital divide and provide residents with equitable access to digital services. With over 31,000 free public Wi-Fi hotspots, Mexico City gained recognition as the world’s most connected city in 2021—a Guinness World Record achievement.

A park in Mexico City (Unsplash)

Increasing Climate and Social Resiliency Through Urban Greenery

As with other cities, Mexico City continues to face challenges despite the urban transformation it has gone through in recent years. One key challenge is climate resilience, and on this front Mexico City is continuously implementing initiatives to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. These efforts include revegetation, river rescues, sustainable water management, hydraulic infrastructure upgrades, zero waste policies, circular economy development, air quality improvement measures and solar energy initiatives.

Mexico City recognises the role of green spaces to engender social resilience. This has driven an investment in the development of parks to create safe and vibrant spaces for the community. For example, Mexico City transformed an abandoned sewerage drain that once divided neighbourhoods along a 1.8-km route into a linear green park known as Parque Lineal Gran Canal. This park has aided the environmental regeneration of the area by replacing concrete with permeable soil, and introducing greenery that will provide shade and reduce the ambient temperature by an expected 4–5°C.

This park is also well-utilised for recreational activities by over 100,000 residents from surrounding neighbourhoods, offering activity spaces for a range of social groups including seniors, children and youths.

Nurturing Collective Stewardship and People-Driven Change

Even as Mexico City’s leadership offers a vision and sound institutions for planning and development, the government recognises the importance of building a community that will collectively steward the city’s infrastructure and spaces. To this end, it launched PILARES (Puntos de Innovación, Libertad, Arte, Educación y Saberes, or Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education and Knowledge) in 2019, an initiative that aims to restore the social fabric at a neighbourhood level. It empowers marginalised communities and supports vulnerable youths through community centres that are strategically located across Mexico City, especially in underserved areas. So far, 294 community centres have been opened throughout the city. The centres serve as integral components of the city’s educational landscape, offering diverse programmes such as self-defense, coding, painting workshops and exercise classes.

Mexico City’s response to the challenges posed by rapid urbanisation is to be proactive and integrated with regard to its development. Recognising that this approach can reap multiple benefits, Mexico City has invested in public transportation infrastructure, promoted sustainable mobility and rejuvenated underutilised spaces. By doing so, the city has enhanced connectivity and reduced environmental impact, while at the same time creating spaces that foster social cohesion and environmental stewardship. By leading with vision and pragmatism, Mexico City has been able to improve the quality of life with, and for, its residents.