Xochimilco es Hogar : place attachment and belonging in Mexico City

Abstract

Mexico City is a sprawling megalopolis of 22 million inhabitants with new residents moving into the city daily. The city's growth is spatially uneven; the southern delegation of Xochimilco has been experiencing rapid urbanization whereas the city center has experienced less. The thesis focuses on the experiences and concerns of a group of young people who participated in the photography project Xochimilco es Hogar ('Xochimilco is Home') in January 2014. Participants were asked a series of questions about the photographing process and their images, along with questions about identity, belonging, and community in Xochimilco and in Mexico City. Finally, participants were asked what they would change about Xochimilco. Photographs and interviews were analyzed according to Setha Low's model of aspects of place attachment and M. Carmen Hidalgo and Bernardo Hernandez's study of place attachment across different spatial scales while being mindful of the politics of place. Participants were highly aware of the planning issues faced by Xochimilco, and I analyze their concerns about environmental sustainability, public safety and security, and transportation and mobility. This thesis concludes by connecting participant experiences to the structural violence of the state, and offering proposals on how place attachment can help planning practice create more equitable cities.