City of Boundaries:
Urban Islands and Their Formal Identities
If one observes Mexico City from above, one sees an urban fabric of roughly 17,400,000 people plagued by the organizational consequences of its social, economic and programmatic divides. On the one hand, Mexico City, like other major cities, have a number of stark boundary conditions. This specific kind of boundary condition demarcates the parks, highways, and civic centers that can be easily located on a map. These observable zones are constructed by Mexico City because of its need to plan for such amenities. However, there is another type of boundary that cannot be located on a map and despite its inherently negative connotation, produces a plethora of unique relationships.
Due to its vast size and undefined edges, Mexico City’s population density is roughly 8,400 people per square kilometer. The context for which these other urban boundaries spawn out of is a result of Mexico City’s inability to adequately respond to such a staggering amount of people. As a result, Mexico City experiences a range in social, economic and programmatic divides that act as catalyst for this other urban boundary. Now, unlike the stark boundary condition, this boundary is observable at more than one scale. The built-up environment and the city’s infrastructure are the two ranges of scale at which these other urban boundaries are found. In addition, the intended program, social structure and economic potential of an area can cause the various neighborhoods to experience a range of these urban boundaries and due to the undefined border of the city, rarely repeat their forms of representation in the exact same way. However, despite the vast range in scale, each shares similar techniques when driving a noticeable wedge into the urban fabric. These wedges are their individual uses of form, material and program.
The first example that begins to illustrate this other urban boundary is the district of Santa Fe. As one of Mexico City’s major business districts, Santa Fe has become infected by new housing developments that have radically different forms and are deployed using up to date construction methods. Now, by themselves these qualities do no harm, however, Santa Fe is not a social or economically strong district and this is represented through its pre-existing built environment. When compared to the rest of the buildings in Santa Fe, these new buildings create a clear contrast to their surroundings. The first of these observable differences is the form and orientation of the new built forms compared to the old. The older buildings are rectilinear and are parallel with each other. For this reason, the older buildings amass together into a sort of clump of housing, while the newer buildings are more individualized due to each home being made up of various shapes and angles. This distinction visually represents the gross economic inequality of Santa Fe by the poor (i.e the clumpy mass) having to huddle together in order to stand out while the rich are able to stand-alone. The next distinction is the color of the buildings. The vibrant exterior cladding methods of the new building developments clash against the outdated and dull cladding techniques of the surrounding buildings. In addition to both the form and color, the developers even added a wall around the new homes to further express the new buildings as a boundary for the surrounding inhabitants.
The next example of this other boundary condition is Mexico City’s railroad. This overpowering programmatic force carves and imposes itself throughout Mexico City with its seemingly indestructible rail lines. As a result of this unflinching presence throughout Mexico City, the rest of the city's elements seem to succumb to it. The buildings directly adjacent to the rail begin to mimic its shape while in other moments when two or more rail lines converge an urban void is created. One area in particular, The Industrial Valley, is where one can observe this other boundary condition causing these formal changes to Mexico City’s urban fabric. Here warehouses, truck yards, and even roads start to curve with the railroad disrupting the regularity of their construction. In addition there is a moment where more than one rail line converge creating a concave triangular void. The surrounding businesses recognize the void and use it to park their cars. By inserting their cars into that space, they understand the imposing nature of the rail line as sort of fortification.
Now, because of this other urban boundary, Mexico City's urban identity changes. The walled housing developments become islands of vibrant isolation within a sea of amalgamated grey clumps and the carved building with the adjacent voids further fragment already program stricken areas. However, at the same time, with this other layer of information the inhabitants are able to experience vastly different situations when moving through the city. One could imagine the possibility of being able to train these urban boundaries for the particular urban task of outlining territories. Mexico City would then be able to properly adapt to its strife’s rather than merely dealing with them.
Due to its vast size and undefined edges, Mexico City’s population density is roughly 8,400 people per square kilometer. The context for which these other urban boundaries spawn out of is a result of Mexico City’s inability to adequately respond to such a staggering amount of people. As a result, Mexico City experiences a range in social, economic and programmatic divides that act as catalyst for this other urban boundary. Now, unlike the stark boundary condition, this boundary is observable at more than one scale. The built-up environment and the city’s infrastructure are the two ranges of scale at which these other urban boundaries are found. In addition, the intended program, social structure and economic potential of an area can cause the various neighborhoods to experience a range of these urban boundaries and due to the undefined border of the city, rarely repeat their forms of representation in the exact same way. However, despite the vast range in scale, each shares similar techniques when driving a noticeable wedge into the urban fabric. These wedges are their individual uses of form, material and program.
The first example that begins to illustrate this other urban boundary is the district of Santa Fe. As one of Mexico City’s major business districts, Santa Fe has become infected by new housing developments that have radically different forms and are deployed using up to date construction methods. Now, by themselves these qualities do no harm, however, Santa Fe is not a social or economically strong district and this is represented through its pre-existing built environment. When compared to the rest of the buildings in Santa Fe, these new buildings create a clear contrast to their surroundings. The first of these observable differences is the form and orientation of the new built forms compared to the old. The older buildings are rectilinear and are parallel with each other. For this reason, the older buildings amass together into a sort of clump of housing, while the newer buildings are more individualized due to each home being made up of various shapes and angles. This distinction visually represents the gross economic inequality of Santa Fe by the poor (i.e the clumpy mass) having to huddle together in order to stand out while the rich are able to stand-alone. The next distinction is the color of the buildings. The vibrant exterior cladding methods of the new building developments clash against the outdated and dull cladding techniques of the surrounding buildings. In addition to both the form and color, the developers even added a wall around the new homes to further express the new buildings as a boundary for the surrounding inhabitants.
The next example of this other boundary condition is Mexico City’s railroad. This overpowering programmatic force carves and imposes itself throughout Mexico City with its seemingly indestructible rail lines. As a result of this unflinching presence throughout Mexico City, the rest of the city's elements seem to succumb to it. The buildings directly adjacent to the rail begin to mimic its shape while in other moments when two or more rail lines converge an urban void is created. One area in particular, The Industrial Valley, is where one can observe this other boundary condition causing these formal changes to Mexico City’s urban fabric. Here warehouses, truck yards, and even roads start to curve with the railroad disrupting the regularity of their construction. In addition there is a moment where more than one rail line converge creating a concave triangular void. The surrounding businesses recognize the void and use it to park their cars. By inserting their cars into that space, they understand the imposing nature of the rail line as sort of fortification.
Now, because of this other urban boundary, Mexico City's urban identity changes. The walled housing developments become islands of vibrant isolation within a sea of amalgamated grey clumps and the carved building with the adjacent voids further fragment already program stricken areas. However, at the same time, with this other layer of information the inhabitants are able to experience vastly different situations when moving through the city. One could imagine the possibility of being able to train these urban boundaries for the particular urban task of outlining territories. Mexico City would then be able to properly adapt to its strife’s rather than merely dealing with them.