ABSTRACT
Like much of the literature on the subject, this book uses Mexico City to illustrate environmental problems generated by mega-cities in middle-income countries. With a population of slightly less than 20 million, Mexico’s capital is unquestionably a very large city, while a per capita gross national income of US$5500 qualifies its economy as ‘upper-middle income’ according to World Bank criteria. But to what extent does a specific case, such as Mexico City, really illustrate the basic set of proposals set forward in earlier chapters? This chapter takes up this question, but not with a view to either verifying or refuting these models: an unfeasible task on the basis of a single case study. Instead, it will be shown that while the Urban Environmental Transition (UET) model and related propositions are useful for exploring urban environmental change, an understanding of the environmental burdens, agendas and policies of a particular city needs additional, place-specific, dimensions. Most importantly, the social construction of these burdens, agendas and policies has to be considered.
