7/28/2019 Planning Suburban Areas as a Strategy for Risks Reduction in MCMZ

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MnicaAdrianaLpezHernndez

UID804243963

UrbanizationintheDevelopingWorld

DepartmentofUrbanPlanning,235A

Fall2012Essaysframework

Project Title:PlanningsuburbanareasasastrategyforrisksreductioninMexicoCityMetropolitanZone.Background:Mexico Citys location and soil composition makes it vulnerable to earthquakes and volcano

eruptions.ThefirstthreatisrelatedtotheclosenesstotheGuerrerogap(just175km 1),created

bytheCocosplatesubduction,somecentimeterseveryyear,beneaththeNorthAmericanPlate.

This fact frequently converts all the pressure in waves that travel long distances. When this

wavesreachMexicoCitycanbeenlargedduetotheswampysoilthatconstitutesmostofthe

downtown area, leading to important earthquakes. Thesecond threat that canmake thecity

vulnerable is the Popocatepetl volcano, just 72km2away from Mexico Citys downtown, but

withinashorterdistancetotherecentlyestablishedsuburbanareas.Thevolcanicactivitymighthaveasa consequencethedeliveryofvolcanodustinthe citiesaffectingthedrainagesystems

andtelecommunications.

Additionalto thenaturalthreats,weshouldconsiderotherfactsdeeplyaffectingthesuburban

areaspopulation:

ThecityisthelargestoneinMexicoandveryattractiveforthepeoplewillingtosearchforworkingopportunities.Mostofthepeoplethatmovefromtheruralareato thecity

establishin theperipherydueto theprohibitivepricesin thecity.The suburbanareas

havegrownfastinrecentyearsescapingfromstrictbuildingregulationandsufferinga

lackofservicessuchasaccesstowater,sanitationandhealthservices.

Mostofthepeopleestablishintheperipheryareworkinginthecity.Thecommutingtimeis usuallyaround2-3 hoursto get towork and the same time toreturnto their

house.Thereductionof4-6hoursoftheirsparetimeperdayaffectsdeeplythequalityof

lifeofthefamilies.

Somesuburbanareasbecomedormitorycities,duetoalackofmixedusedlandpolicies.It also complicates the satisfaction of the residents demands for leisure, cultural

activities,sportsandevengroceries.

A cultural idea suggests that everybody should own their piece ofland tobeable toinheritsomethingtotheirfamiliesandbelessfinanciallyvulnerable.Asaresult,thecity

growslargerbecause.Peoplepreferowningapieceoflandwheretheycanbuildfreely

ratherthanlivingpilledupinapartments. Thetopicisrelevantbecauseover50%oftheinhabitantsofMexicoCityMetropolitan

ZoneliveoutsideMexicoCity.(Over12millioninhabitants3)

1Crdenas,J.R.(Unknown)LabrechadeGuerrero.ProyectoTemasdeCienciaContempornea.2

InformationtakenfromCentroNacionaldePrevencindeDesastres(CENAPRED)-NationalDisasterPreventionCenter.3DatafromtheNationalcensus2010.ByINEGI.Retrievedfrom:www.inegi.gob.mx

7/28/2019 Planning Suburban Areas as a Strategy for Risks Reduction in MCMZ

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Question

Whatdoweknowaboutpreventiondisastermanagementinsuburbanareasandthepoliciesalreadyimplemented?

WhatdoweknowaboutsupportforlocalbusinesstoavoidthepeoplemovingtoMexicoCitydowntown?

Whataretheimprovementstomakethecommutelesshampered?

Objective:

Observesuburbanissuesanditsengagementwiththeurbanpolicyproposals.Forthispurpose

weareundertakingapproachestodifferenttypesofrisksfacedbythecommunitiesestablished

inthePeriphery.Thisresearchisrelevantduetothenumberofpeoplelivingonsuburbanareas

andtherelatedeconomicimpact.

Methodology: Primarilydeskresearchthatincludes,butgoeswellbeyondthemulti-disciplinary

developmentliteraturetoalsocovercurrentpoliciesimplementedandsearchfor

existingprojectproposals.

ObservetherecommendationsbyNGOsandresearchinstitutes. SuburbanzonestoobservefwouldbeselectedbasedonrankingofriskzonesinMexico

CityMetropolitanZone.