- Citizen Participation as a Means to control accelerated urban Sprawl    click here to open paper content481 kb
by    Chavez de Ortega, Estefania | ortegachavez@yahoo.com.mx   click here to send an email to the auther(s) of this paper
Short Outline
A study of Xochimilco, one of Mexico City subdivisions, shows the impact in controlling the accelerated urban sprawl in this region by promoting greater citizen’s participation supported by popular territorial representatives (Calpuleques).
Abstract
One of the issues faced in cities with accelerated population growth , is to account for their user’s demands as well as to reach agreements between population and government, and to establish a dialogue on supply and demand of urban projects, that would respond to real needs of users and meet promoter’s expected profitability.

Such projects would be based on factors that allow all parts to define which goods and services would be beneficial to all the groups involved.

This proposal for viable alternatives in city planning is to subdivide mega cities or districts into a greater number of cells, to gear policy and administrative decentralization to encourage both government and citizens to work together to meet the best decisions to improve governance.

This is a case study of the period 1997-2000 of Xochimilco, one of the 16 local subdivisions (delegations) in which the government of Mexico City is divided. This case study shows the impact in controlling the accelerated urban sprawl in this region, by promoting greater citizen’s participation. At the beginning of this period, 14 new popular territorial representatives (Calpuleques) were democratically elected. The Calpuleques had cultural coincidences and similar regional identities with their jurisdictions, that started a dialogue with which other, and in some cases, contribute to less violent conditions than at the beginning of this experience and permitted control over the urban sprawl.

This change of organizing policy making contributes control accelerated urban sprawls and also to coherent urban projects, and Best Practices for the region.
Keywords
Citizen`s participation. Sustentability. Governace
Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2008: Urban Growth without Sprawl
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