DANIEL ESCOTTO is professor of Architectural Theory and History at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and former director of the Public Space Authority of Mexico City. During fall 2024, he was Tinker Visiting Professor at LLILAS, where he taught a graduate seminar titled Social Responsibility of Architecture and Urban Planning in Mexico. During spring 2025, Escotto continued his residency at UT Austin, joining the School of Architecture to teach an advanced studio class that explored the architectural and urban conditions of cities in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, where stations of the new Tren Maya are located. Below, Professor Escotto talks to Portal editor Susanna Sharpe about the potential of transforming urban public space in the Americas, and how this could improve civic life.
You are interested in how a positive civic culture that connects people in cities can be fostered through the design of public space. What are the fundamental building blocks and infrastructure needed to begin to build such a culture?
Civic culture is one of humanity’s oldest social constructs. It’s deeply tied to the origins of cities and to foundational myths in which heroes or deities shape the destiny of a community. This sense of collective identity predates modern democracy and is rooted in symbolic acts of belonging—like those found at Atapuerca in Spain, where early hominins performed burial rituals. These gestures, however distant in time, speak to the origins of shared cultural meaning.
When we speak of civic culture (from the Latin civitas), we refer to more than infrastructure, but infrastructure is still essential. Streets, water systems, public buildings—these are the material frameworks. Equally vital are the legal and administrative systems that govern communal life. Civic culture, in this sense, grows at the intersection of design, law, and community practice. Yet none of this works without quality public space. Design matters. Public space is where civic culture becomes tangible—where rights are exercised and community is formed. The role of urban design is not just technical; it is political. It can either empower people or exclude them. That’s why political will is indispensable. If urban form is left solely to market forces or rigid bureaucracy, we lose the human dimension. Urban planning should be about shared values, not just efficiency.
What are examples of successful projects in Mexico, including those you have worked on? What are some of the notable transformations you’ve seen?
Mexico’s civic culture has evolved through three major stages.
1. Pre-Hispanic civilizations like the Mexica and Maya developed sophisticated cities centered on community, ritual, and territorial organization.
2. The colonial era brought European models that imposed a different spatial logic, blending (and often erasing) Indigenous practices.
3. Post-revolutionary twentieth-century Mexico saw the emergence of a nationalist urban identity tied to modernization and infrastructure.
In the twenty-first century, especially in Mexico City, challenges like overpopulation and uncontrolled urban sprawl demanded urgent attention. Between 2009 and 2012, I served as director of the Public Space Authority of Mexico City, a unique office created to recover and redesign key urban areas. One flagship project was the revitalization of the civic axis from Plaza de la República through the Alameda Central—the oldest urban park in the Americas—and down to the now pedestrianized Madero Street, leading to the Zócalo, the city’s main civic square.
We also focused on underserved neighborhoods, with the understanding that public space quality is directly tied to quality of life. The goal was not just beautification, but equity: ensuring that every resident—regardless of zip code—had access to dignified, safe, and inclusive urban environments. These interventions shifted not only the city’s physical landscape but also people’s habits and perceptions. Streets became more than transit corridors; they became places of gathering, expression, and civic life.
You note that, compared with Europe, cities in the Americas have vast potential for urban transformations because there is much more space. What are some outstanding examples from Latin America?
Latin American cities often combine colonial rigidity with sprawling informality, creating paradoxes but also opportunities. Many urban areas have unused land, interstitial zones, or underperforming infrastructure that can be reimagined. Cities like Mexico City, Medellín, and Lima are pioneering accessible, community-driven models for mobility, safety, and public space. These innovations often come not from large budgets, but from creative governance and civic participation. They show that transformation doesn’t require copying European cities—it can emerge from our own context, with our own tools.*
What role do the physical vestiges of colonial architecture and design play in Latin American cities? Are they a help or a hindrance when it comes to reimagining civic life?
Colonial remnants are double-edged. They represent a legacy of exclusion and imposition, but also offer cultural memory and spatial potential. The question is not whether to preserve or erase them, but how to reinterpret them for today’s society. We can transform colonial plazas, arcades, or convent courtyards into spaces of inclusion and expression. But this requires a shift in mindset: heritage must be seen not as static, but as dynamic and adaptable. Only then can it serve as a platform for a renewed civic culture.
Other than cost, what are some of the factors that impede cities from enacting profound changes to enhance life in urban spaces?
One major obstacle is the lack of community engagement. Too often, residents oppose projects simply because no one has explained their purpose, benefits, or long-term vision. Design without dialogue breeds resistance. Another barrier is institutional rigidity—overlapping jurisdictions, short political cycles, and resistance to change. Additionally, powerful economic actors can distort planning processes toward private gain. True transformation needs transparency, education, and participatory planning at all levels.
You have spent almost a year in Austin. If you could imagine three changes that would have a profound positive impact on civic engagement in this city, what would they be?
1. Pedestrianizing key parts of downtown, particularly east–west connectors like 5th and 6th Streets, to encourage walkability and create more vibrant public space.
2. Redesigning major corridors such as Congress, South Congress, Lamar, and South Lamar—reducing vehicle lanes and widening sidewalks, adding trees and shade to create a more human-scaled environment.
3. Implementing the long-delayed Light Rail system is essential for equitable and sustainable mobility. Mobility is freedom, and freedom is civic life.
What city or cities in the U.S. come closest to your ideal of an urban area that combines accessible and comprehensive transportation, walkable zones, and support for community cohesion?
I prefer to think in fragments rather than full cities—pieces of urban fabric that, if stitched together, could form a realized utopia. For example:
• The walkable density of Chelsea in New York City
• The civic vibrancy of Millennium Park and the Riverwalk in Chicago
• The green and active waterfront around Lady Bird Lake in Austin
• The urban balance of Portland’s downtown core
These places show that cities can be inclusive, accessible, and beautiful. What’s missing is not the know-how—it’s the political courage and collective imagination to make it happen at scale. ✹
Note
See Linda Baker, “Also Migrating from Latin America: A Wave of Urban Innovation,” Bloomberg CityLab, April 30, 2024.