This collaborative project, developed within the 2017th Mextropoli, highlights the liberal enjoyment of public space in Mexico City’s unique yet contentious urban environment.

© Jaime Navarro

Architects: Factor Eficiencia, 5468796 Architecture

Location: Av. Hidalgo, Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

Structural Engineer: Studio NYL Structural Engineers

Project Year: 2017

Photographs: Jaime Navarro

© Jaime Navarro

This collaborative project, developed within the 2017th Mextropoli, highlights the liberal enjoyment of public space in Mexico City’s unique yet contentious urban environment.In Mexico City’s metropolitan area, with a population of more than 23 million people, 4.5 million daily commuters navigate complex road networks, frequent traffic jams, public protests and parking shortages. The street—the prime public space—is the setting for all such friction. There, “viene viene”—entrepreneurs who function outside of government oversight, bribe the local police, use common painter’s buckets to claim a piece of the street, and will charge hopeful drivers looking for a parking spot with an additional fee in exchange for access to their illegal stall. Each viene viene can control one or several city blocks with their buckets, and will threaten anyone who parks without agreeing to pay ...