Dos proyectos de escala metropolitana de fin de siglo XX en México: la Plaza Tapatía en Guadalajara y la Macro Plaza en Monterrey

Abstract

This article analyzes the experiences of two projects which had a major urban impact in the 1980s on two Mexican cities, Guadalajara and Monterrey. In both cases, the background behind urban planning and the different projects to regenerate the historic city centers are discussed. The considerations of the local authorities regarding the tired and deteriorated image of the old downtown area are also presented, outlining the large-scale interventions that involved the demolition of colonial and 19th-century buildings and spaces. The results are contradictory: on one hand, a large public space was gained, but at the same time, the original city layout and many heritage buildings were lost. Both projects were the result of authoritarian political decisions, by governor decrees, without any consultation with the inhabitants of Guadalajara and Monterrey.