Resumen

MONTEJANO-ESCAMILLA, Jorge Alberto et al. Urban Growth and Expansion in Mexico, 1975-2020. Región y sociedad [online]. 2023, vol.35, e1734.  Epub 04-Dic-2023. ISSN 2448-4849.  https://doi.org/10.22198/rys2023/35/1734.

Objective: to figure out if the rate of growth of built-up land and built-up urban land has gone hand in hand with the growth of the general population and the urban population in particular, and, if indeed, the cities have grown sprawly. Method: this paper presents an estimate of population growth and physical expansion in Mexico -both built-up land and urban footprint- between 1975 and 2020, using mainly remote sensing sources. Additionally, urban spatial structure metrics are calculated to assess trends with respect to some sustainability principles. Findings: it is concluded that, while the built-up land grew 3 times in the span of 40 years, the population doubled. Added value: this research nuances previous official results with serious consequences in terms of public policy. Limitations: growth estimation using remote sensing has a margin of error dependent on the resolution of geospatial databases. Conclusions: a general trend towards urban sprawl is confirmed.

Palabras llave : urban expansion; urban growth; urban form; Mexico.

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