CTS-México's project fosters a low-carbon urbanization model that is competitive and compatible with Mexico’s existing policies.

The Center for Sustainable Transport Mexico (CTS-México) and the Ministry of Social Development are working on a project, “Toward Competitive, Low-Carbon Cities,” to promote sustainable and competitive urban development by reducing polluting emissions, as well as by applying a comprehensive strategy for transportation and re-densification of urban areas.

On March 17 and 18, Mexican and international experts met in Mexico City to define the methodology for the project, which seeks to determine the carbon contribution and public costs of urban growth models in Mexico. The methodology attempts to demonstrate that compact and dense urban development promotes competitive cities.

Sara Topelson de Grinberg, undersecretary of urban development and territorial organization from the Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL), opened the meeting. She emphasized the importance of conducting studies and academic debates about the benefits of reorganizing public transport and applying urban growth models that focus on a better quality of life for residents.

CTS-México's project fosters a low-carbon urbanization model that is competitive and compatible with Mexico’s existing policies. These policies aim to achieve more equitable and efficient urban structures by pursuing denser and more compact development with appropriate land use, infrastructure, public transit and other services.

Topelson added that these initiatives are not only designed to achieve economic improvement, sustainable development, and housing and urban policy, but that they “also seek to improve society, since the irrational sprawl of the urban footprint is destroying our social fabric, and people are no longer friendly with their neighbors, who enclose themselves within their house."

She added: "Denser cities have stronger social networks and society as a whole is integrated.”

In this regard, Topelson indicated that CTS-México's contribution is of great value in light of the connections it creates between prestigious academic research institutions and the government. Without those relationships, she said, the opportunity to work with experts “would be more complicated.”

The project is funded with contributions from the British Embassy in Mexico, as part of the Foreign Commonwealth Office’s Strategic Programme Fund.

PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS:

• Colegio de México (COLMEX)
• Universidad Nacionial Autónoma de México (UNAM)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• University of California, Berkeley
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL)
• National Ecology Institute (INE)

INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS:

• Robert Cervero, Director, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California, Berkeley
• Chris Zegras, Ford Career Development Assistant Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Maury Estes, Assistant Director, Earth Systems Science Program for USRA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Nancy Kete, Executive Director, EMBARQ, World Resources Institute

NATIONAL PARTICIPANTS:

• Boris Graizbord, Director del Programa de Estudios Avanzados en Desarrollo Sustentable y Medio Ambiente (LEAD-México); Colegio de México
• Julia Martínez, Coordinadora del Programa de Cambio Climático, Instituto Nacional de Ecología
• José Luis Lezama de la Torre, Director del Centro de Estudios Demográficos, Urbanos y Ambientales, Colegio de México
• Javier Delgado, Coordinador del Postgrado de Geografía, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
• Clemencia Santos, Investigador Titular del Departamento de Geografía Social, Instituto de Geografía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
• Juan Manuel Torres, Investigador de la Facultad de Economía, Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económica