Fragmentation, segregation and governance in rural urbanisation through housing developments in Calimaya, Mexico

Abstract

The article is based on two research projects and presents reflections on the consequences of the urbanisation of the countryside in Calimaya, as well as the results of poor governance in the municipal government in the form of fragmentation and segregation. Calimaya is a municipality that belongs to the State of Mexico and is a part of the Metropolitan Area of the Toluca Valley. The construction of housing projects in the area has been progressing rapidly since 2000, most of them taking the form of mixed-type urban complexes as well as condominiums. These urban projects have had an impact on the territory, environment, society, and public administration. The urbanisation of the countryside brings with itself fragmentation and segregation, which in most cases are linked to problems with governance by public administration at the municipal, state, and federal level.