Coatzacoalcos: Urban restructuring and private investment in a Mexican medium-size city

Abstract

The speeding of CoatzacoalcosÍ€™ urban development began in the late sixties dueto the installation of several petrochemical complexes, promoting the proliferation of irregularsettlements despite the implementation of urban development plans. This process was slowed down by the crises and devaluations of the eighties and Í€first half of the nineties, but by the beginning of the 21st century, Coatzacoalcos, like many other Mexican cities, experienced a major housing and commercial development, together with an economic diversiÍ€cation process in order to avoid the local economy dependences on oil. The housing development is now carried out by private developers and made possible due to the reactivation of mortgages favored by public housing institutions;at the same time, public investment literally pays for the Í€œsceneryÍ€ for the arrival of large retail enterprises, both processes modifying the image and urban structure of the city.

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