Resumen

FLORES-LUCERO, María de Lourdes. Eco-neighborhoods, an alternative for the improvement of illegal settlements. Econ. soc. territ [online]. 2013, vol.13, n.43, pp.619-640. ISSN 2448-6183.

Eco-neighborhoods appear as an alternative to accomplish the principles of sustainable development in degraded urban areas. In Mexico some projects are beginning to be classified as such, but they remain short-sighted and technocratic in their approach. Our goal is to show that the community of San Juan Tulcingo, Puebla, represents an opportunity to transform an illegal settlement into an eco-neighborhood, because despite its urban marginality, it presents sustainable features such as social cohesion, agricultural knowledge, and some habits of non-motorized transportation. Our study is based on four methodological elements: literature review, semi-structured interviews, workshops with residents and field observation.

Palabras llave : illegal settlement; eco-neighborhoods; sustainable urban development; San Juan Tulcingo.