Waste in Mexico City is a fairly under-researched area in urban political ecology literature despite being extremely interesting when analysed under the microscope of urban metabolism. Inspired a lecture on waste and ‘circular economies’ , it makes sense this week to look at these topics in Mexico City. From a UPE standpoint, looking at urban…
Air pollution in Montreal
How much serious is it? Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental issues for cities in the 21st century. Moreover it is also an issue of public health. As we can see on a UK governmental webpage, the two major air pollutants are Particulate matter (PM), ‘a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles…
Informality and land-use policy in Mexico City: Case Study of the Federal District
Mexico City has a very complex dilemma between the housing needs of a rising population and environmental conservation. Obviously, this is not an uncommon situation in this day and age with the majority of large urban cities experiencing urban sprawl to some extent. A prime example being London, right on our doorstep, which has its…
The socio-political injustice of clean air in Rio de Janeiro
Civic bodies have encouraged the rethinking of governance over air in Rio de Janeiro in a bid to reduce dangerous levels of air pollution. Despite Rio’s self-proclaimed image of a reformed, clean and green city, air pollution remains a central issue undermining the health of cariocas. Historically, the city faced increasing pressure from a rapidly…
Introduction to Montreal
Montreal is the second most populous city of Canada and the first of the province of Quebec. It is one of the cities we will focus on for this blog and we start with its presentation. Summary of Montreal’s history The hill that dominates the emplacement of the actual city of Montreal was named “Mont…
Reclaiming urban ecologies through collective action
For an urban landscape, Cape Town plays host to a phenomenal abundance in both flora and fauna. Its diverse range of species predominantly populate the Cape Floristic Region: a biodiversity hotspot that includes the world renowned Table Mountain National Park. Robben Island and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens also feature as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, rewarded…
When the grass really is greener on the other side: Mexico City’s green space dilemma
Mexico City was named in 1992 by the UN as the “most polluted city on the planet”[1], however it is trying to shake off its prior reputation as a smog and soot filled city. A narrative which has been at the forefront of this attempted change is from changing Mexico City from grey to green….
Introduction to Mexico City’s Urban Political Ecology
Welcome to my blog exploring the urban political ecology of Mexico City. Urban political ecology “seeks to understand the ways in which our urban environments are produced and reproduced, focusing on questions such as who decides, how they decide, who benefits and who loses.”[1] As someone who is born and bred in the UK and…
Exploring the urban political ecology of Rio de Janeiro
Hi there! Welcome to my blog dedicated to exploring the urban political ecology of Rio de Janeiro. Urban political ecology is a theoretical approach focused on examining the political, social and environmental dimensions of urban problems. As such, the context of the following blog posts will address urban issues specific to Rio de Janeiro. Located…
Unravelling Cape Town’s Water Apartheid
Growing concerns over an intense period of drought crystallised when Cape Town announced plans for ‘Day Zero’. The 12th April 2018 would mark the projected date when the capacity of local dams would fall to just 13.5%, preventing households and businesses from direct access to freshwater supplies. This doomsday rhetoric was successful, with radical reductions…
Urban Political Ecology UCL 