Subnational And Local Urban Planning In Mexico

Addressing urban poverty is a complex issue that requires a holistic approach and the joint effort of a large range of local and national stakeholders.  This requires availability of reliable information, political interest, and awareness of decision makers, appropriate technical capacity, as well as an enabling institutional and regulatory context.   These conditions are only partially met.This project has the objective to provide technical and substantive assistance that complements governmental capacities and contributes to designing holistic strategies for urban planning and policy making, as well as strengthening governance capacities at subnational and local level, considering participatory and inclusive process, and integrated approaches that achieves mainstreaming gender and human rights. By contributing to a solution for unplanned development, and by building-up technical capabilities within subnational and local governments, it will be possible to create the bases to deliver better development conditions, guaranteeing the well-being and human rights access of the entire population, by providing equal access to essential infrastructures and services, increasing the empowerment of the society as a whole, and improving its resilience against an unpredictable future.The delivery of comprehensive planning instruments and regulatory frameworks, focusing in maximizing existing and foreseeable local opportunities and diminishing the negative effects of development, will provide the elements for a better future in resilient conditions. In this regard, local and state governments are considered key partners in implementing the project, given their ability to enforce planning instruments within their jurisdictions. The first phase will be implemented within the Hidalgo State through the Regional and Metropolitan Planning Department and the Public Works and Planning Department; the collaboration with Distrito Federal will be implemented within the Economic Development Department, Quality of Life Office and Urban Development and Housing Department.    In response to the problematic stated above, in Mexico, the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU for its Spanish acronym) is responsible for designing, planning, promoting, regulating and coordinating policies related to land use and development of cities and regions. Therefore, SEDATU shall be a strategic partner in designing and implementing technical assistance, as well as providing technical and political support to UN-HABITAT national office work on urban and territorial planning in Mexico.Proposed solutions are in line with the strategic guidelines defined by the national government regarding city and regional development, which objectives are: eradication of urban poverty; improve competitiveness and employment; enhance sustainability and quality of life, among others.Given the problematic and considering that the new urban and housing policy, which enhances the new urban agenda in Mexico, lacks of subnational and local urban planning instruments and mechanisms that allows the policy implementation, the integral design and implementation of local development plans in the Mexican context is considered strategic, having as goals the delivery of equal access of opportunities, the reduction of burdens by-product of unplanned urban development, the reduction of vulnerabilities related with climate change; and the enhancement of local government technical capabilities towards sustainable urban development.