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3. How did the Mexican government encourage the growth of the city? Type here

3. How did the Mexican government encourage the growth of the city? Type here

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For the world's largest urban center, Mexico City is in the most impractical of settings. Situated 7,400 feet above sea level, it is ringed by mountains and volcanoes, set in an earthquake zone, gradually sinking into its soft subsoil, far from water, food and energy supplies, and literal- ly, short of oxygen. Yet so strong has been the tra- ditional domination of the country by its central highlands-from...Tenochtitlán to Mexico City itself-that the capital has continued to grow beyond its ability to function. Today, it is not only the country's political capital but also its industri- al, financial, commercial, entertainment, cultural, and even religious capital. With a population of 17 million in 1984, it has become a case study in the chaos that awaits other developing nations where the rush to industrialize has stimulated a mass exodus from depressed rural to fast-growing urban areas.... People flocked to Mexico City because the country's economic strategy since the 1940s obliged them to do so. Resources were poured into industry, commerce, and urban construction, while agriculture was neglected. Problems were then compounded by poor planning in every area-from industrial location to water sup- plies as well as by the prohibitive cost of keep- ing up with the population. Yet people kept com- ing... because the city still resolved many of their problems. Jobs could be found, schools were nearby and health services were access- ible.... But chaotic growth has not obliterated Mexico City's character and charm. Its very growth reflects its hospitality, always allowing one more person through the door to find a niche and make a living. Its energy and spirit somehow isolate the pleasure of living there from the pain of its noise, traffic, and pollution. The humanity of the city constantly protrudes through the facade of seem- ingly insoluble problems: architectural jewels from both the pre-Hispanic and colonial past have survived, museums, theaters and concert halls are always crowded.... And everywhere the sheer power of El Gran Tenochtitlán, as it was once called, can be felt, not only controlling its own huge population but also holding together the rest of the country. But this more poetic dimension does not explain two puzzling phenomena-that succes- sive governments should have done so little to slow the city's growth, and that the population could accept the steady deterioration of the qual- ity of urban life without major outcry.... In 1960, all the necessary socioeconomic ingredients for rapid urban growth were in place; by 1970, offi- cials and citizens alike could already recognize the signs of urban macrocephalus; and by 1980, the city was overwhelmed by people and prob- lems. But at no stage were new industries, con- struction programs, or squatter settlements banned to forestall this disaster. Nor did discon- tent express itself in riots or protests.... What distinguishes Mexico City from other Third World urban disasters is neither the imme- diate cause nor the nature of its problems.... Mexico City stands out because a centuries-old tradition of centralized power was followed by an unprecedented burst of growth since 1940. It is different because no other city in the world is larger today. Adapted from Distant Neighbors; a Portrait of the Mexicans (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985).
Transcribed Image Text:For the world's largest urban center, Mexico City is in the most impractical of settings. Situated 7,400 feet above sea level, it is ringed by mountains and volcanoes, set in an earthquake zone, gradually sinking into its soft subsoil, far from water, food and energy supplies, and literal- ly, short of oxygen. Yet so strong has been the tra- ditional domination of the country by its central highlands-from...Tenochtitlán to Mexico City itself-that the capital has continued to grow beyond its ability to function. Today, it is not only the country's political capital but also its industri- al, financial, commercial, entertainment, cultural, and even religious capital. With a population of 17 million in 1984, it has become a case study in the chaos that awaits other developing nations where the rush to industrialize has stimulated a mass exodus from depressed rural to fast-growing urban areas.... People flocked to Mexico City because the country's economic strategy since the 1940s obliged them to do so. Resources were poured into industry, commerce, and urban construction, while agriculture was neglected. Problems were then compounded by poor planning in every area-from industrial location to water sup- plies as well as by the prohibitive cost of keep- ing up with the population. Yet people kept com- ing... because the city still resolved many of their problems. Jobs could be found, schools were nearby and health services were access- ible.... But chaotic growth has not obliterated Mexico City's character and charm. Its very growth reflects its hospitality, always allowing one more person through the door to find a niche and make a living. Its energy and spirit somehow isolate the pleasure of living there from the pain of its noise, traffic, and pollution. The humanity of the city constantly protrudes through the facade of seem- ingly insoluble problems: architectural jewels from both the pre-Hispanic and colonial past have survived, museums, theaters and concert halls are always crowded.... And everywhere the sheer power of El Gran Tenochtitlán, as it was once called, can be felt, not only controlling its own huge population but also holding together the rest of the country. But this more poetic dimension does not explain two puzzling phenomena-that succes- sive governments should have done so little to slow the city's growth, and that the population could accept the steady deterioration of the qual- ity of urban life without major outcry.... In 1960, all the necessary socioeconomic ingredients for rapid urban growth were in place; by 1970, offi- cials and citizens alike could already recognize the signs of urban macrocephalus; and by 1980, the city was overwhelmed by people and prob- lems. But at no stage were new industries, con- struction programs, or squatter settlements banned to forestall this disaster. Nor did discon- tent express itself in riots or protests.... What distinguishes Mexico City from other Third World urban disasters is neither the imme- diate cause nor the nature of its problems.... Mexico City stands out because a centuries-old tradition of centralized power was followed by an unprecedented burst of growth since 1940. It is different because no other city in the world is larger today. Adapted from Distant Neighbors; a Portrait of the Mexicans (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985).
3. How did the Mexican government encourage the growth of the city?. Type here 4. Place an X before the statements that are accurate based on this document. T The Mexican government tried to develop agriculture at the expense of industry. Y _P_Mexico's planning for industrial production was efficient. E _Migration to the city represented a form of social mobility. Ħ er Population in Mexico City increased faster than the city's capacity to absorb it. e
Transcribed Image Text:3. How did the Mexican government encourage the growth of the city?. Type here 4. Place an X before the statements that are accurate based on this document. T The Mexican government tried to develop agriculture at the expense of industry. Y _P_Mexico's planning for industrial production was efficient. E _Migration to the city represented a form of social mobility. Ħ er Population in Mexico City increased faster than the city's capacity to absorb it. e
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