Boris Graizbord

Mexico City as a peripheral global player: The two sides of the coin

This article considers the effects of globalization on Mexico City, as well as whether this urban area, one of the largest in the world, can be considered a “global city.” We base our arguments on a number of scales of analysis suggested in the literature on these topics. At the international scale, we look at the increased concentration of corporate headquarters and air traffic flows in the city. In terms of its role in the national urban system, we argue that while domestic migration patterns have shifted toward other destinations, the majority of domestically produced merchandise continues to find its way to the capital. At the metropolitan scale, our analysis suggests increasing spatial segregation, as well as longer commutes. At the intraurban level, we find that the sectoral composition of jobs has shifted toward commercial and service sectors, the informal sector has expanded, the labor force is polarizing, and that high-level service sector growth is spatially concentrated. In view of these findings, we suggest that the effects of globalization on Mexico City are mixed, as it consolidates its position as a second-tier global city. We also argue that, in spite of welcome steps toward democratization, pre-existing income inequalities in the country have accentuated the socio-economic polarization predicted by the literature on global cities and globalization, giving rise to a megacity with two very distinct sides. Copyright Springer-Verlag 2003

Teleworking as a Mobility Strategy for Mexico City

Abstract Urban spatial mobility and its environmental impact have been attracting attention in academic circles, but have not yet fully permeated the urban public policy agenda. Proposals to reduce commuting (journeys to work) recommended in the relevant literature include controlling land use to cut the distance between home and the workplace, inducing modal shift, promoting concentration of service activities, time distributing work schedules, and teleworking (TW). The purpose of this article is to report some findings regarding the implementation of TW based on a survey of corporate employees that enter this work modality in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area. We provide insights as to the potential impact the adoption of TW might have on the citys commuting pattern, use of energy, and environmental pollution.

Alfonso Mercado García (coord.). Instrumentos económicos para un comportamiento empresarial favorable al ambiente en México. México, D.F. : Fondo de Cultura Económica ; El Colegio de México, 1999

Alfonso Mercado Garcia (coord.), Instrumentos economicos para un comportamiento empresarial favorable al ambiente en Mexico , Mexico, FCE/E1 Colegio de Mexico, 1999.

Tito Alegría Olazábal. Desarrollo urbano en la frontera México-Estados Unidos : una interpretación y algunos resultados. México : Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1992. 285 p. Anexo estadístico y bibliografía (Colección Regiones)

Tito Alegria Olazabal, Desarrollo urbano en la frontera Mexico-Estados Unidos. Una interpretacion y algunos resultados , Mexico, Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1992, 285 pp., Anexo Estadistico y Bibliografia (Coleccion Regiones).

Gustavo Garza y Jaime Sobrino. Industrialización periférica en el sistema de ciudades de Sinaloa. México : El Colegio de México, 1989, 344 p.

GUSTAVO GARZA Y JAIME SOBRINO, Industrializacion periferica en el sistema de ciudades de Sinaloa , El Colegio de Mexico, 1989.

Manfred Kochen y Karl W. Deutsch, Decentralization, Sketches toward a Rational Theory, Publication of the Sciences Center Berlin, vol. 21, Oelgeschlager, Gunn & Hain Publishers, Inc., Cambridge, Mass, 1980, 356 pp.

Manfred Kochen y Karl W. Deutsch, Decentralization, Sketches toward a Rational Theory, Publication of the Science Center Berlin, vol. 21, Oelgeschlager, Gunn & Hain, Publishers, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. 1980.