World Savvy Monitor

Although 80% of Mexico’s land is considered rural, around three-quarters of the population live in cities.  These include the populous towns located on the US-Mexican border (home to maquiladora factories) and others scattered throughout the country.  Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, is the cultural and economic epicenter of the country and, with its nearly 20 million inhabitants, the second-largest urban area in the world.  

The sprawling, polluted city also serves as an illustrative microcosm of the issues facing Mexico as a nation – income disparity, rapid population growth, insufficient urban planning, and economic policies that enrich a small portion of the population while deteriorating living standards for the poor and middle-class.

In this section…

Mexico City Case Study

• History
• Urban Challenges