URBAN INEQUALITIES, SOCIAL INCLUSION POLICIES AND URBAN INTEGRATION IN MEXICO CITY (1997-2026)

Abstract

This article analyzes the social inclusion and urban integration policies implemented in Mexico City since the beginning of its political democratization in 1997, which led to its governance by a left-wing coalition. The starting point is that urban inequalities refer to the inequities in access to and quality of urban goods, which have an institutional dynamic that amplifies structural inequalities. Another distinctive characteristic is that these urban inequalities do not necessarily have persistent roots, but rather possess an institutional dynamic that can be modified through government interventions that allocate more resources to the most disadvantaged areas and implement public policies that prioritize equity criteria to guarantee the effective exercise of the right to the city for all citizens. Using the capital of the republic as a territorial reference, the article presents data on the marked inequalities that persist despite the application of a set of social and urban policies designed to improve the socio-economic and living conditions of the poorest sectors. While these policies show a certain continuity—as they are based on the recognition of rights—the programs, institutional particularities, and forms of governance—associative and collaborative—that coexist conflictively in each of the six government periods between 1997 and 2024 are analyzed. Finally, the scope and limitations of these urban social policies in achieving a better quality of life, primarily for the majority of the popular sectors that inhabit the big city, are reflected upon.