Mexico City, 25 August 2016—Studies have showed that complex urban dynamics that respond to high land prices and lack of affordable housing in the center of the cities are forcing residents of large metropolis to relocate somet
Mexico, 18 March 2016 – The first results of the City Prosperity Index (CPI) carried out in 136 municipalities across Mexico were presented in Mexico City earlier this March. The CPI is UN-Habitat’s urban development indicator and is being implemented with the Mexican federal institute for housing Infonavit. Currently applied in over 500 cities around the world, the CPI is a tool that provides metrics and data to evaluate urban development.
Mexico City, December 4, 2015 -- "We will strengthen the strategies of care for women and children victims of violence."
The phrase was said by the representative of UN-Habitat in this country, Erik Vittrup, during the signing of the agreement between the National Commission to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women (CONAVIM) and UN-Habitat, the last week, in the Juárez room of the Secretary of Governance, in Mexico City.
Mexico City 12 November 2015 - The government of Michoacán and UN-Habitat signed an agreement that seeks to develop and implement instruments for territorial planning and urban management in six cities of the state. The signature took place in late October in Morelia, capital of Michoacán.
Monterrey, 15 September 2015—At the end of an international seminar recently held in Monterrey, Mexico, the participants came up with the lobby, the "Latin American Community of Urban Poverty Stakeholders". The Community is an open and voluntary network promoting the exchange of experiences on urban poverty and social inclusion. It is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Social Development of Mexico, the Global Fund for Cities Development, the World Bank and UN-Habitat.
Mexico, 31 October 2014 – Urban experts met in the Mexican cities of Zapopan and Monterrey during the "Planning Dense Cities in the 21st Century: Tools for Redevelopment" conferences held between 29 and 31 October 2014.
In Zapopan, the event addressed, among others, issues of regulation and development standards, the optimization of urban form, and economic and social benefits of agglomeration policies.
Mexico City, 28 August 2014 — On the last leg of his official mission to Mexico, UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr. Joan Clos addressed the country’s Senate on urbanization issues.
The Executive Director’s speech was titled: “The role of policymakers on Urban Habitat Agenda: heading into Habitat III in 2016”.
Mexico City, 21 August 2014--"Urban planning is an important source of development and a tool for reducing inequality," UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr. Joan Clos has stressed.
In an address at the opening of the twenty-third assembly of the General Assembly of Ministers of Housing and Urban Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (known by its Spanish acronym MINURVI) in Mexico City on Wednesday, Dr. Clos said urban planning brings access to a dignified life adding that it was an engine for development as well as an incentive for development.
The office in Mexico works on the generation of evidence (CPI) for the execution of strategic urban projects with counterparts from the federal, state and municipal government.
Mexico is a highly urbanized country with nearly 80 percent of its population living in urban areas. Between 1970 and 2000, the surface area of Mexico City grew 1.5 times faster than its population. With high rates of uninhabited housing and the segregated development of housing projects stemming from severe income disparities, Mexico City is faced with massive urban sprawl, as are many other cities in Mexico.
From 2014 to 2017, of the homes built and financed by the housing institutes, 37.5 per cent are abandoned and are located in large peripheral housing complexes.
It is estimated that families with fewer economic resources would take 120 years to pay an average home without subsidy.
2.2 million houses are located outside of cities (43.6 per cent). Only 8 per cent are in consolidated areas.
In Mexico, UN-Habitat promotes sustainable urbanization in a country with 72% of its population living in urban areas, living in 383 cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants. The National Office in Mexico through continuous advocacy achieved to sensitize national policy makers and to include in the National Development Plan 2013-2018 (Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2013-2018), which is the strategic tool of national policies guideline, prosperity as a main development principle.
In 2013, UN-Habitat accompanied and included the sustainable urbanization approach to the National Urban Development and Housing Consultation Forum, a national strategy that consisted in consulting the 32 states and technical experts in specific topics in order to design the new national policy. Also in 2013, UN-Habitat participated in the National Housing and Urban Development Council, which has democratic participation of civil and social organizations, housing investors, governmental institutions and academic representatives. This council has technical committees that develops technical recommendations on specific issues. The National Housing and Urban Development Council established in 2013 which is the Habitat Committee equivalent (it is mentioned in the Housing National Law), created the Communication and Diffusion Committee to promote the transition to new urban paradigms and the importance of focusing on cities.
Urban poverty reduction in Mexico This project comes as a follow up to the project “Urban Poverty Reduction in Mexico” (F049) which ran from 2004 to 2010. The project complements the efforts of Mexican authorities in keeping a political and administrative environment conducive to the implementation of the Habitat Agenda in the country. It focuses on strengthening UN-Habitat and SEDESOL knowledge, visibility and network in order to develop the portfolio of activities in the country. Main activities include:
The project is primarily financed by the Federal Government, Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL), which is in charge of urban development. A major objective of SEDESOL is the reduction of urban poverty. Implementing Partners: The Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL), the Mexico’s National Commission to Combat Violence Against Women (CONAVIM), the Mexico State, and the Tlalnepantla de Baz municipality. Capacity Building A Training on city densification was carried out in Monterrey, and EGM on City Densification in Zopopan is under preparation. From Isolation to Community Life UN-Habitat and Avina have intiated a transformative process in the Plaza de la Soledad, a square located within the city’s Merced district. The space became known as the Cultural and Community Plaza for Violence Prevention and Civic Learning nd it seeks to turn this urban square into a space for community response and assistance. The project contributed to enhancing the public space by repurposing the square as a place for social interaction, implementing sociocultural strategies that encourage people to make this space their own. Project duration: 2015 - ongoing Value USD: 10,000 Donor: Mojang Implementing partners: Fundación Avina Urban Regeneration in Mexico City UN-Habitat together with a team of four planning studios and the Creative Industries is egaged in concrete urban regeneration projects. The regeneration projects include spatial visualization, public space networks, rules and regulations, financial mechanisms and collaboration with stakeholders to achieve a shared vision for the development of the city. Project duration: 2015 - ongoing Value USD: 100,000 Donor: Creative Industries Fund Implementing partners: Secretary of Urban Development and Housing, UN-Habitat Office in Mexico, Creative Industries Completed project Assessment of the Impacts of Crime on Urban Economic Competitiveness, a pilot case in Zapopan Municipality (just completed). This project aimed at improving local authorities’ capacities to formulate and implement urban strategies for prevention and mitigation of urban crime in a context of economic competitiveness.
UN-Habitat National Office in Mexico Paseo de la Reforma 116 Juárez, Cuauhtémoc Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal +555 53285000 ext 50847 and 50846
