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context
Establishing the culturally consistent connection between Mexico’s housing and independent markets Case studies: Tepito, Oaxaca, tianguis
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issues
Analyzing the issues facing the integration of markets and housing Social - formal vs informal Cultural - infrastructure Economic - upward mobility
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position
Connecting issues with solutions offered through context case studies and social housing initiatives Social - integration and support Cultural - reclamation Economic - permanency
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design
Establishing the culturally consistent connection between Mexico’s housing and independent markets
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Context
Oaxaca Culture of Craft and Production
La Casa de Las Artesanias
Today, even despite globalization and influxes of industrially produced goods, the state boasts the largest number of working artisans in Mexico.
Founded in the last decade, this coalition of eighty families is a co-operative store based in Oaxaca. it is a feat of ingenuity. By gaining control of their own collective land and building, the families are able to have larger stalls, charge more and support one another through profit sharing and collective working.
Specialization A crucial part of the artisan economy of Oaxaca is a system of specialization among community members supported by an organized regional market system. Challenges Local demand for these products is still nonexistent due to cheaper alternatives availability at chain stores. Mexico City Migration This migration has continued to the current day - with many fleeing during the region’s 2006 protests.
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Vecinidad Housing Specific housing, called vecindad, was developed as a sort of hostel to house merchants during their stays. Establishment of Public Markets Initially, Tepito attracted tradespeople and craftspeople en masse as it quickly became one of largest commercial activity zones. Social Organization
Tepito
Soon after the 60’s, the area began to fall into disrepair and devastation with the proliferation of activity. In response, neighbors and merchants formed 29 separate organizations to provide services. Historic Designation In 2001, the neighborhood was designated as part of a historic downtown. This led to the destruction of local housing housed by merchants due to alleged illegal activity. Tepito Today Today, the area has become part of the city center - ‘the fringe within the perimeter.’ It holds 5,000 residents, but its daily markets represent 15,450 formal + informal points of sale and draw in approximately 22,000 customers each day.
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Employment Tianguis are not only a temporary survival solution, but are an effective occupation for residents. These tianguis are estimated to provide some level of income for about half of all Mexicans - 2 million of which in Mexico City consider it their full occupation. Most shockingly, merchants have the highest reported income of all entry-level retail employees.
Tianguis
Aspirations Crucially, these merchants are also a population seeking to better their life with 33% hoping to open a business, 67% hoping to improve their business, and only 33% hoping to find another job (the lowest of all retail employees surveyed) Widespread Use These street markets are seen throughout all of Mexico City. This is largely due to them occupying a space not provided by the proliferation of big box stores - whether that is through goods, prices or community. Gathering and Organization Critically, these street markets are also a hub for neighborhood gatherings and are also the source of influential organizations of merchants that are heavily involved in local and city-wide politics.
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Analyzing the issues facing the integration of markets and housing
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Issues
Formal vs Informal
Social
CDMX’s government’s approach to the street markets has always been with the ultimate goal of formalization. In their current fashion these mobile, unlicensed shops have always been hard to regulate. These attempts have been seen in the formation of public market plazas through the 50’s and 60’s, the destruction of vecinidad housing, and today’s attempts at raids, limiting times and more. In all of these attempts, the city government has supposedly understood the importance of the markets to the local economy, but continued the desire to formalize these places.
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Cultural
Infrastructure Today, street markets pop-up in the center of streets, oftentimes with little or no warning. They disrupt the intended car-centric circulation of the city. Instead, they create a unique experience in neighborhoods that often otherwise lack access to many nearby goods and services. They are a new circulation experience, as hundreds pour through these magenta-lit tent tunnels, stepping through another world on their way to work or the metro or school. However, these moments are fleeting. Unless guaranteed by a collective bargaining agreements, many of these tianguis will disappear at first sign of a police raid. And today’s housing doesn’t provide necessary support space for people to produce their own goods
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Economic Upward Mobility Tianguis and housing have both historically been directly tied to upward mobility for Mexico City’s residents. These are often structures built by newcomers to the city with the little bit they’ve saved up to move. The ability for these houses to gain equity largely relates to access to services, power in collective ownership and overall upkeep of the area as a whole. A success story - union de palo alto. Income and Aspirations
The same study found that of all sectors studied, from chains to suppliers, merchants overwhelmingly expressed a desire to either open another business or improve their existing business - more so than any other position. However, merchants don’t have a high rate of achievement.. Much of this is due to the systemic barriers in place preventing upward mobility - such as lack of available permanent retail space, the destruction of production and storage space, etc.
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Based on a 2006-2008 study of retail in Mexico City, the average income of ambulantes at mercados
and tianguis is approximately 25% higher than nonsupervisor positions at chain stores.
Connecting issues with solutions offered through context case studies and social housing initiatives
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Position
Social
Cultural
Economic
Integration and Support
Reclamation
Permanency
Social housing projects should be built with integrated space for informal markets permanent or semi-transitional. This integration is embedded in Mexico City’s history and can no longer be ignored. We should not continue to ostracize and attempt to reform the informal, but instead embrace it and aim to improve it - giving individuals a path of upward mobility.
Reclamation means the rejection of car-centric infrastructure imposed upon Mexico City’s people outside of the upper class. It means reclaiming underutilized spaces in order to create better space.
At the end of the day, much of the benefits of upward mobility will be accomplished solely through permanency. This means permanent points of sale, better client relationships, increased resiliency, better local services, and increased home value.
Crucial to this effort is understanding the necessity for support space that allows for a return to production by individuals - crucial for the long-term enhancement of business vs reselling goods.
Reclamation also means the return to craft and production culture. This is accomplished through a return to housing typology that directly accommodates this trade so intertwined with the culture of migration to the city from Mexico’s outer states.
Co-ownership In today’s Mexico City, co-ownership (literal or simply implied) is key to a thriving housing and market system. We’ve seen this in Tepito, tianguis, Palo Alto and more. In this case, coownership is critical to creating a local social contract regarding future expansion, sales, retaining value, and more.
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Calpulli House
Spanish Corrales Markets
Calpulli House
Vecinidad Housing
Vecinidad Housing
REINVESTMENT INTO SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE
SUPPORT THROUGH SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE
INCREASE IN INCOME - SELF EXPANSION OF HOME AND BUSINESS