Interscaler Design for a Rewilded City: A Case Study of the Green Monterrey Metropolis

Mexican cities contain overwhelming evidence of climate, environmental, and social risks. Many cities suffer from urban heat, droughts, water scarcity, degraded ecosystems, reduced agricultural productivity, torrential rains and inundations, and extremely rapid urbanization. Monterrey, Mexico’s second largest city, close to the Texan border, is a good example of all these risks. On top of this, the city’s mentality is characterized by a population that is working hard, industrialized, car-dependent, limited environmental awareness, and social inequity. Moreover, the urban planning and design mechanisms are driven by landownership, ill-regulated planning laws, and economics. In this context, it is urgent for the urban residents that the city transforms into a resilient, regenerative, and green area, in which ecosystems, and clean air, water, and soil determine urban growth. In this paper, a regional design for the Monterrey Metropolis is presented. In this plan, at first, extensive mapping has been undertaken to identify the landscape pain that is currently apparent in the city. Secondly, based on the acquired analyses spatial strategies for healing have been designed, in which the landscape is taken first in the design process. Finally, the ecosystems framework at the regional scale is detailed at the (hyper)local level to accommodate livable environments for local residents, both human and non-human. These small-scale design strategies consist of the implementation of urban reforestation projects, urban food growth and regeneration, and retention of creeks and rivers. These projects are not only designed and visually represented but also implemented in collaboration with local actors, in many cases in the most vulnerable communities. The unique findings of the study highlight the regional scale at which a green, rewilded eco-hydrological system can be designed, how this is based on identifying the most relevant landscape pain, and used as the framework for detailed regenerative designs at the hyperlocal scale. In conclusion, the design of a green, rewilded metropolis is an interscalar process, with long-term, large-scale strategies go hand in hand with hyperlocal concrete projects in streets, squares, and parks, improving people’s daily living conditions. In this paper, both the regional as well as the local strategies will be presented, using design examples.