Author(s): Sarah Lavin
The paper examines the intricate interplay of new futures in the post-suburbia era that all cities world- wide face. It tracks problems in land availability, regulatory policies, and housing market conditions and their effects on economic and urban development. Latin America, where land speculation and real estate investment drive most urban growth, is a perfect scenario to rethink how architects and designers can approach the future. This kind of rapid expansion tends to create significant discrepancies in terms of housing affordability and accessibility, especially for vulnerable groups such as Indigenous communities. For instance, the case of Temozón Norte, a little town in the south of México, shows how the community’s cultural landscape has been drastically transformed by sprawl. The focus of Temozón Norte on economic growth through real estate ventures has overshadowed attempts to preserve the cultural and social texture of the community. Land commercialization, which was once time a central part of their culture, has resulted in the dispossession of ancestral lands as well as the marginalization of Indigenous people. Urban growth offers economic opportunities, but sustainability needs to be included in most instances. Comprehensive infrastructure planning, environmental protection, and cultural preservation neglect are long- term challenges that overcome short-run economic gains. Cultural and social identity must be preserved when considering economic growth in urban development; therefore, as this paper’s case study, Temozón Norte, argues, sustainable approaches to development are urgently needed, giving new thoughts of the future yet to be.
Volume Editors
ISBN
978-1-944214-49-4