Tlatelolco: housing, public spaces, and heritage public spaces

Abstract

Throughout history, cities have risen and fallen, others are forgotten, subject to abrupt modifications, and others adapt to the times and change as their needs require. This last example is the case of Tlatelolco. Currently, Tlatelolco is a neighborhood with a layout composed of three superblocks. This logic is based on pedestrian priority and their interaction with public space through communal areas and the absence of streets within the neighborhood. The neighborhood is composed of fifty percent high-density vertical housing and the other fifty percent green areas. The Nonoalco Tlatelolco neighborhood has a broad and diverse history. But, being immersed in a heritage zone, its public spaces are part of the heritage from different eras with which it coexists. What about the inhabitants of Tlatelolco? What is their interaction with the heritage sites and the archaeological zone? Despite having spaces managed by both UNAM and INAH, the relationship between residents has changed over the years. Through documentary and field research, the role of heritage public spaces for the residents of the facility, from the elderly to young people, was determined, as well as their daily lives.