- Mexico City’s fight against air pollutants. A War without end    1024 kb by    Greene, Fernando | gondiana@hotmail.com    Short Outline Mexico City has a population of 20 million people. it is located in a closed valley with air pollution as a major problem, reaching its peak in the 80’s. In response, the authorities fostered a long term strategy to cope with it with very good results. Abstract Mexico City nowadays comprises a population close to 20 million people, with an estimated size of approximately 1500 square kilometers and a density of 135 inhabitants per hectare. It is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, at an average altitude of 2150 meters (ASL) and because of the direction of high winds, solar radiation, number of vehicles, fuels quality, physical infrastructure of streets and avenues and being an enclosed territory, the air pollution is a major problem. This phenomenon is confronted every day with different actions to control it. The problem reached it’s peak at the beginning of the 80’s, resulting in almost a catastrophe for the city, this due to the fact, that different concentrations of pollutants such as lead, sulphur, carbon dioxide and others, was so high that the health of people and animals were in serious danger. As a result of this major urban crisis, the authorities of the city fostered a long term strategy to cope with air pollution. Different actions have been put into practice, being the most significant: 1.The installation of a net of highly sophisticated air pollutant monitors through out the city. 2.A one day a week non circulation program for all types of vehicles. 3.The compulsory verification of gas pollutants in all types of vehicles every six months. 4.The national production and importation of gasoline free from lead and sulphur. 5.The renovation of vehicles through an extensive policy of bank loans and national car production privileging four valve motors. 6.The construction of more lines of metro and metrobus in order to foster the public mass transportation systems. 7.Renovations of streets and avenues to prevent traffic congestions. If we compare the quality of the air considering different parameters of today against those of past years the results have been very successful, therefore, it is my opinion that this metropolis is working to achieve a low carbon status. In this paper is presented how the authorities of Mexico City in conjunction with its citizens cope with this problem. Keywords Metropolis, air polution, strategy Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2009: Low Carbon Cities   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper