Cohen, Miriam Alfie; Jáuregui, Oscar Flores --- "Planning and Environment in Mexico City’s Metropolitan Zone: Trying to Defeat Poverty" [2012] ELECD 654; in Le Bouthillier, Yves; Cohen, Alfie Miriam; Gonzalez Marquez, Juan Jose; Mumma, Albert; Smith, Susan (eds), "Poverty Alleviation and Environmental Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012)

Book Title: Poverty Alleviation and Environmental Law

Editor(s): Le Bouthillier, Yves; Cohen, Alfie Miriam; Gonzalez Marquez, Juan Jose; Mumma, Albert; Smith, Susan

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781781003282

Section: Chapter 10

Section Title: Planning and Environment in Mexico City’s Metropolitan Zone: Trying to Defeat Poverty

Author(s): Cohen, Miriam Alfie; Jáuregui, Oscar Flores

Number of pages: 23

Extract:

10. Planning and environment in Mexico
City's metropolitan zone: trying to
defeat poverty
Miriam Alfie Cohen and Oscar Flores
Jáuregui

10.1 INTRODUCTION
By the end of 1960, we had certainly witnessed the relentless surge of indus-
trialization `at all costs', limitless both in progress and expansion. Today, the
constant growth of population, together with the depredation of non-renew-
able resources, the irrational use of energy sources and the deterioration of
renewable resources, among others, mark the beginning of a new era in which
human existence itself is under threat. Several writers refer to this situation as
`Socioeconomic Metabolism'; inasmuch as the consumption of energy plus
the use of materials, as well as the residues produced in the process, prevent
timely recuperation by nature.1 Mainstream theories of development and
underdevelopment have failed to sufficiently consider such ecological dynam-
ics (Bunker, 1985) which are attributable to flaws in the market and in govern-
ment. In the first case, the market, there is a failure to put a price on nature and
to clearly delineate property rights. In the latter, the lack of governmental
legislation has significant repercussions that are not easily solvable.2
This process of industrialization did not simply increase; its growth was
poorly planned in most countries, leading to a deterioration of environmental
conditions and an unequal distribution of resources within the population. The
extensive growth of this new productive form, combined with the inappropri-
ate use and intensive and systematic exploitation of natural resources, ...