Projects for the Future City: A Design Framework for Climate Justice

The purpose of this chapter is to recount the dichotomy of our city, Querétaro, a medium-sized city of one million inhabitants with a booming economy. Although the city is prosperous, it is also a victim of its success, facing environmental challenges due to urban and population growth. In addition, climatic conditions have accelerated and worsened due to climate change, exacerbating hydric stress and consequently demonstrating the limitations of existing infrastructure, putting the most vulnerable population at risk. To address the dichotomy and climate justice, the design studio ‘Projects for the Future City,’ conducted at the School of Architecture at Tecnológico de Monterrey, examines the climate justice mosaic of territory to explore the desirable possibilities of addressing multiple facets of local challenges. It addresses climate injustice, focusing on the socio-cultural and ecopolitical dimensions of the climate crisis, mainly in the city of Queretaro. Through academic speculation, the design projects explore the possibilities and effects of different actions in response to the climate crisis’s present and future urban challenges. Through a selection of academic projects that respond to specific climate justice, we reflect on how operating in an arid territory requires adaptation, resilience, and a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges of dry urbanism.