The University Program of City Studies
(Programa Universitario de Estudios sobre la Ciudad-PUEC), created on August of 1994, has been consolidated as a linkage in urban research between UNAM and other institutions of higher education in Mexico, and their international peers, especially in both public institutions and social organizations, for giving solutions to the practical problems at cities.
Regarding to research perspectives, the spatial dimension of social, economic and environmental processes is privileged in all the projects coordinated by PUEC-UNAM. Also, including governance as a key concept has been expressed in a robust academic capital on urban management and participatory planning to study urban poverty, urban competitiveness and social economy as an emergent issue. Particularly, research about historic districts has taken a prominent place, as well as aspects such as metropolitan coordination, housing and housing and urban policy.
Based on this important legacy, the Program proposes increasing their interinstitutional linkages of habitability, local development, transport innovations and other urban infrastructures, sustainability and risk, all of them from a metropolitan and regional perspective.
During 2016, several projects and studies were developed such as Actualización del Programa de Ordenamiento de la Zona Metropolitana, Programa de Manejo Bosque San Juan de Aragon, Plan Maestro La Plancha (Merida, Yucatán), Plan Integral de Manejo del Centrto Histórico de la Ciudad de México 2017-2022. Additionally, the participation of PUEC at Habitat III promoted a proposal to include the Right of the City as a substantial point in the final agreements of the convention.
As part of an important goal for the program, courses related with urban studies have been developed to impulse education for academics and human resources. Also, the staff imparts courses at undergraduate (Faculty of Architecture) and postgraduate (Urbanism and Political and Social Sciences) programs at UNAM. In parallel, there is a continuous training for students from different faculties from the internships.
In terms of diffusion, the Program has presence in academic, extern and digital media; promoting open and specialized urban data, information is diffused at homepage and printed publications. In relation with academic activities, the program arranged different events where academics, students, public workers and social organizations normally participate; is also in charge of the international award for thesis on housing, and another one for historic districts.
Throughout their 22 years of experience, the Program has been consolidated as center for researching and coordinating efforts through social participation, all the above with the final duty to construct sustainable, inclusive and safe cities for all citizens
