Urban and Regional Planning Education in Mexico

Abstract

This analysis sheds light on planning education in Mexico. One important question that the paper addresses is: Are planning programs forming professionals capable of addressing the challenges that cities and regions face in the twenty-first century? The study draws upon a content analysis of 253 course syllabi and a database of 128 employed local planners. The results of the analysis suggest that planning curricula are still very much embedded in the rational model and there is a challenge for strengthening the curricula with more communicative skills that are valuable in a postmodern society.

Between research, practice and governmental policies in the global south: understanding the Egyptian urban planning scene

“…In the broad context of the Global South, it is crucial to acknowledge that the nature of the urban problems in the less developed countries, most of which are in the Global South, and the more developed countries are inconsistent with one another. The Global South must tackle additional problems inherited from their urban poverty (Peña, 2019). While contending with problems like urban poverty, rapid growth, urbanization, informalities, inequality and injustice, spatial fragmentation and others, the Global South additionally face similar problems to those dominant in the Global North, like climate change and resource depletion.…”

“…While contending with problems like urban poverty, rapid growth, urbanization, informalities, inequality and injustice, spatial fragmentation and others, the Global South additionally face similar problems to those dominant in the Global North, like climate change and resource depletion. However, these challenges are further exacerbated in their intensity due to significantly lower average gross domestic product (GDP) (Peña, 2019;Speak, 2012;Watson, 2011). What further distinguishes the situation in the Global South is extreme nature of urban poverty, with many people living at subsistence level, the disparity between poor and wealthy, inequalities and injustices and spatial fragmentation (Mitlin and Satterthwaite, 2013).…”