Abstract

ZENTELLA GOMEZ, Juan Carlos. Inter-Municipal Relations and Urban Governance in Metropolitan Zones of Mexico: the Case of the Metropolitan Zone of Xalapa. Estud. demogr. urbanos [online]. 2005, vol.20, n.2, pp.229-267.  Epub Jan 20, 2020. ISSN 2448-6515.  https://doi.org/10.24201/edu.v20i2.1218.

The phenomenon of metropolization in Mexico dates from the 1940s. However, it was not until the 1970s that the first instruments arose for regulating the phenomenon, such as the “conurbation declarations” or authorizing municipalities to associate. Since then, the phenomenon of metropolization has spread to most of the large and medium-sized cities in the country and forced the municipalities to negotiate, reach agreements and solve conflicts. In this context, the notion of “urban governance” as understood by scientists, assumes unexpected dimensions based on the interests and projects of each municipality. In the state of Veracruz, we have identified the Metropolitan Zone of Xalapa, where various municipalities coexist in the same urban space. The inter-municipal dynamic reveals the limits of the theory of governance and the difficulty of formulating a public agenda of government that can be applied on a metropolitan scale. In this context, the author begins with a brief summary of the main assumptions of the principle of “urban governance” followed by a chronicle of the main problems observed in the Metropolitan Zone of Xalapa, which illustrate the difficulties that emerge when governing a fragmented territory. The author then contrasts the proposals put forward by urban governance and ends by explaining the difficulties faced by conurbated areas in Mexico within the process of Public Policies in formulating a government agenda on a metropolitan scale.

Keywords : municipality; government policy; urban government; conurbation; government control; governance; metropolitan areas; Veracruz; Xalapa.

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