Regional-urban evolution of the metropolitan area of Mexicali 1990-2010: planning changes and challenges

摘要

The regional-urban development planning is a relatively recent response to the changes in the economic processes of production and foreign trade which experienced profound changes over the past two decades. With these changes, globalization and national openness impacted the economic, social and territorial relations in the metropolitan area of Mexicali. This area experienced a central expansion increasing the mobility of vehicles. The importance of urban-regional network in its territory also augmented. These changes impacted the economic base, gradually reducing the importance of agriculture and industry while services, mobility and economic diversification in the territory of Mexicali increased. The desert environment, demographic concentration and mobility in a very small territory with a very dry and warm weather, have posed challenges for future sustainable development in its metropolitan territory. From the results and the experience of a collective planning process and of civic integration, key challenges were identified in the scenarios to promote appropriate and successful answers in the planning of sustainable development for an extreme territory and with economical competence.