Modernist Mexico City

Through a multitude of significant changes physically, conceptually, economically, and more, the societal reformation of cities in the Progressive Era had set themselves as the foundations of American civilization. The juxtaposition between the rich and poor statuses in these urban areas show the drastic separation within developing cities. Through this division caused a wide variety of living conditions, the majority of which held the overcrowded sections of cities where the population mostly stayed while the higher end communities had more luxurious lives. Through this success of entrepreneurship and economic growth from all aspects in cities, the entire landscape, both physically through innovative architecture and the perspectives outside rural and suburban areas had on them, had transformed for the better in these areas.

The Aztec empire flourished and peaked between the years 1480 and 1500 AD under the rule of Ahuitzotl, the eighth Aztec ruler. It is estimated that by the year 1519 AD the Aztecs ruled over 25 million people. The capital of the empire, Tenochtitlan (current Mexico City) had a population of 200,000 by conservative estimates. During the same timeframe, London had a population of 40,000 and Paris, 65,000. When the Spaniards arrived to the city of Tenochtitlan, built in the middle of Lake Texcoco, they were just amazed. They equaled their experience to walking into a dream.

In the book “Mexico Profundo Reclaiming A Civilization” by Bonfil Bonilla shows the reality of a modern Mexico without neglecting the problems of the current government of Mexico. The Mexican society is composed by different diversities of Indigenism and of high social groups that forms two different types of Mexico such as the Mexico Profundo and the Imaginary Mexico which are different worlds that are interpreted as Mesoamerican and European civilizations. Before and after the Mexican Independence, the process from the pre-Columbian time to a modern world in Mexico, had been a complex movement, since there were battles, slavery, cultures, customs, democracy and struggles containing different experiences that lead to what makes Mexico contemporary, hence; through the historical erasure, and the people who resist colonization since the beginning of colonialism, it created a Mexico Profundo

II. Thesis Statement: Mexico is an interesting country, with many different and people and customs, as well as major problems.

country of Mexico showcasing what Mexico has to offer. Showing how the art of the ancient people are expressed. Being taken over by the Spanish colonial towns are seen in Mexico’s capital Mexico City. Located in Mexico City a lot can be find influencing their art, shops, renowned museums and very good tasty restaurants to modern life, as well showing their ancient art of the ancient civilizations, and ancient culture. The earliest real civilization in Mexico was the Olmec culture which came from of the Gulf Coast from around 1500 BCE.

Upon entering Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore, I was instantly mesmerized by the vibrantly colored walls that are painted with Aztec inspired architectural designs, patterns, and colors. My first impression of these bold designs instantly gave me the feeling that I had entered a miniature version of an Aztec temple. While I waited for the other members to arrive for the workshop, I explored the numerous shelves that held

If a health clinic providing basic services to the world’s most vulnerable people is withheld the large amount of foreign assistance that currently comes from the United States government, all diseases will flourish, including epidemics such as Zika and Ebola (Barry-Jester, 2016). We contribute to more unstable political environments (Crimm, 2007, p.615) and more refugees that we increasingly refuse to help when we take away aid that would countries meet the needs of their citizens.

The walls vibrated with colors and the strokes of pencil danced across the pages. Twist and turns of materials displayed in tall glasses cases for all eyes to see. The exhibit for all to see especially the students interested in learning additional information about Latino background. This is how I felt as I walked through Musel del Barrio. I was quite excited to go to the Museo del Barrio because it was one of the museums in New York City that I have not been to. During this semester, my interest in the Nuyorican movement has grown. I was interested in learning more about the movements and the impact the museum had on the community.

The Mexican culture is a collectivist and enthusiastic of its traditions. The current Mexican culture it’s not simple because it has rich traditions and contrasts, outgrowth with history and modernization (Cultura, n.d.). The Mexican culture has a mixture of pre-Hispanic

A country rich in history, tradition and culture, Mexico is made up of 31 states and one federal district. It is the third largest country in Latin America and has one of the largest populations—more than 100 million—making it the home of more Spanish speakers than any other nation in the world. Despite the political and social changes that have occurred over the centuries, evidence of past cultures and events are apparent everywhere in Mexico. Many of Mexico’s rural areas are still inhabited by indigenous people whose lifestyles are quite similar to those of their ancestors. In addition, many pre-Columbian ruins still exist throughout Mexico, including the ancient city of Teotihuacán and the Mayan pyramids at ChichénItzá and Tulum. Reminders of the colonial past are evident in the architecture of towns like Taxco and Querétar.

Like an enormous living museum, Mexico City provides an extraordinary showplace for the thousands of years of human cultural achievement that Mexico has attained. It ranks as one of the world's great capitals and is a must for anyone craving to understand Mexico's complex past, its fast-paced present, and its ever challenging future. The size and grandeur of the city are staggering. It is not only the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Western Hemisphere, but, by some accounts, has also become the largest city in the world. Before we look at present day Mexico City, let us look into it deep and storied past.

An influential figure in architecture of the twentieth century, Luis Barragán made his mark by inciting an architecture of modern simplification of form and imbuing it with the warmth and vibrance of his native Mexico. He is celebrated for his mastery of space and light and use of vivid colors and textural contrasts in his works. Aside from his architectural design, he is noted for his distinct approach to landscape design, which sought to accentuate natural surroundings and enhance the local foliage and terrain of Mexico. Though his formal education is in engineering, his ever growing fascination with architecture impelled his desire to develop his own take on modernism and led him to modernize Mexican architecture.

Los Angeles was the first product off the assembly line of American urban planning. Turned on in the late 19th century, the city-making machine was fueled by an immense immigration of people who sought to create a new type of city out of the previously quaint pueblo. They also strove to craft the first major city developed primarily by Americans and outside of European archetypes. As a result, Los Angles is not only incredibly diverse, but also nearly impossible to define. Since it is a product of the American machine, understanding the community of Los Angeles becomes vital to understanding the United States. But to fully comprehend the present Los Angeles, one must look at the process that created it. Specifically, Los Angeles was

“The best that can be said of the conception is that it did afford a chance to experiment with some physical and social planning theories which did not pan out. “ This quote reflects Jane Jacob’s philosophical ideas in an attempt to criticize the social housing’s design approach and its associated urban planning in modern era. “The physical and social theories” outlines the urban planning idea of social housing (Utopian idea) and according to Jane’s statement, such experiment of these theories were deem to be unsuccessful. It is inevitably certain to some extent that a provocative statement towards modern era social housing approaches would hold true due to the minimal success the plans brought to the city, such as solving the working class commendations temporarily. Nevertheless, it is a failure to deliver long-standing social improvements corresponded with the increasing suspicion of modernism, one cannot simply attribute ill fate to its “innovative physical features” (As Jane said, the Utopian and Utopia), but should rather considered a range of other elements in the larger aspect of society: factors such as difficulty of racial integration, problems of financing and management, lack of bridging between architecture and planning, as well as the increasing preference of suburban lifestyle from the rising mid class. These problems reflected evidently in some stereotypes of social housing communities built in the modern era such as Pruitt-Igoe, sunny side Gardens, Paul

Mexico City alone has a population of over 9 million people. It is the second-largest and most rapidly growing metropolitan area in the world. Mexico City has been, since 1325, a thriving city with pyramids, houses, and temples. In other words, it has existed in a civilized state long before the United States even came into existence! In 1620, when the pilgrims first landed at Plymouth Rock, Mexico City was a thriving center with over 100 million inhabitants.