How Mexico City Is Surprisingly Well Designed

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Offset your carbon footprint on Wren: www.wren.co/start/leafoflifefilms The first 100 people who sign up will have 10 extra trees planted in their name!

[@BrownInEurope]

Done! Thanks a lot for pointing us out to this website! :)

[@infintyplus]

in other words cities designed by white people are lousy and cities designed by brown people are superior.

[@leonidas759]

There are several areas of Mexico City that are super green. The thing is that instead of having lots of large parks like most cities in the world, Mexico City has large, leafy trees on several of its streets. I personally believe that having these large trees on the streets is far more desirable and beautiful than having lots of parks, but with a bunch of entirely urban streets without any green.

[@RodrigoMera]

why don't have both? ;)

[@emilioromero4696]

I don't agree, as a person who lives in Mexico City, I love walking in streets full of trees, but the usual design in parks is horrible in my opinion, it is to "Spanish", I would love to have parks with lots and lots of grass that you can relax in like in the US, UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium, etc. And I also find the lack of parks very frustrating, other than small plaza-style parks with a concret-y design, the closest actual park from where I live is Chapultepec, which is a half an hour drive away.

[@rolandomontana1389]

@@emilioromero4696 you dont like you move, I love Mexico city.

[@emilioromero4696]

@@rolandomontana1389 And you have every right to love it, though it speaks miles about your ignorance and knowledge. And I, as a tax-paying citizen and voter have the right to ask for better services, better streets, more green areas, etc

[@Diegobrinter]

Ideally you should have both. Green streets can’t replace good parks

[@pottertheavenger1363]

Honestly, Mexico City's urban planning fell since the 80's or so, when the population exploded, and the outskirts were left to grow as they pleased, so you have incredibly beautiful streets all over the west and south of the city, but fewer in the east near the city limits. The poorer the neighborhood the uglier it is. Only the middle income households actually push for better planning, if any.

[@CesarCid]

definetely a lack of a firm hand to contain slum sprawl

[@reubenz1480]

Learn geography. One thing is Mexico City and amd another the outskirts. Different governments period. Mexico City on its own is first class.

[@pottertheavenger1363]

@@reubenz1480 True. Without Pedomex the city would be better off.

[@gabobeltran9132]

That used to be on the 80s however in the last 20 years time frame the mexico city qdministration has designed and deployed a self sustainable programs investing in more green areas and water supply services u won't even 8magine the development of infrastructure which has been built in theae outskirts of the city such as telferic lift transportation system , bikes lanes and bikes rental and recreational centers taking advantage of all the major avenues

[@emilioromero4696]

@@reubenz1480 No, you are completely and almost comically wrong. Some parts of Mexico City are nice, but there are poor, overpopulated, underdeveloped parts of the city all around it, you go to Coyoacán? Drive 5 minutes north and you'll be in extremely poor suburbs, same with every other "nice" part of Mexico City

[@josegaribay9550]

Colonia Condesa is not the only neighborhood with green areas like the one you've shown, although it might be one of the best examples, we are blessed to have similar areas in the alcaldías of Coyoacán, Benito Juarez and even Iztapalapa. Still great insight, keep up the quality content.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Thank you for highlighting that!

[@1rjona]

I live in Benito Juarez, the park near my place made life during quarantine bearable

[@sophia.lb95]

Boroughs* it's boroughs/districts not alcaldías

[@diegoaviles6663]

True! Polanco, Roma Norte and Roma Sur are pretty green neighborhoods too

[@BadBoy93143]

Paseo de la Reforma, specifically between the Fuente de Petroleos and the crossing with Insurgentes Avenue has beautiful lush green and trees specially in the the stretch from Fuente de Petroleos and Chapultepec Park entrance.

[@DGLA13]

Unfortunately, the disparity in urban planning when it comes to cities in Mexico is a reflection of class differences.

[@wetguavass]

gringo posing as Mexican?

[@Queeshandle]

@@wetguavass where is the lie on what he said?

[@garlandstrife]

@@gfrendanbo edomex≠cdmx 80% de la ciudad son zonas pobres.

[@ablorenz]

@@wetguavass Mexico is a third-world country run by cartels. Cope.

[@MarielaP05]

@@garlandstrife No es tu país Perú 😂 ven y muestranos ese 80% te quedaste en la prehistoria ORATE. Queremos ver ese video. Hasta kas colonias más pobres de CDMX hoy dia estan mejor que en tu país.

[@Thomas-cl6iu]

I thought Mexico City had a park bigger than Central Park in it. Thanks for the video. Mexico City looks beautiful in every video I’ve seen. Have a great weekend everyone

[@elisam4642]

It does, and it's called Bosque de Chapultepec.

[@CarlosRivera-cg4cs]

10 times bigger then central park

[@King-Ghidora]

We will also soon have a recreated and expanded Texcoco lake. The Texcoco area was going to be the new site of the New International Mexico City Airport (NAIM). However since it is a flood prone part of Mexico, construction was halted and the area will now become a nature preserve, as well as a recreated lake.

[@wetguavass]

Texcoco park will be even bigger

[@RodrigoMera]

Our city is actually very flawed, but I would say it is "organic" if you know what I mean.

[@davidls187]

I'm pleased to say these projects to plant trees and greenery in public spaces are speading fast across Mexico City. It's obviously still a work in progress and many neighborhoods might not be as well suited for it than others, but I'm glad to see it happen more. The city really is changing rather quickly and it's great to see.

[@rubenvanderlaan4234]

Fair analyses of european cities. In terms of walkability and access to public transport, european cities are wel designed but we definitely don t have enough green spaces in the city. The benefits would also be huge in places like phoenix with their desert winds and climate.

[@goncerex9521]

Maybe Europe doesnt need many of them because its much colder than mexico city

[@rubenvanderlaan4234]

@@goncerex9521 10 years ago that argument would be valid but we re breaking heat record after heat record. In the Netherlands 35 degrees celcius are no longer an exception in the summer. And spain, portugal and Italy are facing the worst droughts in decades. We desperately need these solutions.

[@neme6is.mp4]

europeans cities need more trees and green spaces but the pollution per capita of a European city like Barcelona remains almost 3 times lower than that of a Chicago resident. Parks dont do everything

[@milliedragon4418]

@@goncerex9521 that isn't really true it's just that Europe had an industrial age that preceded the Americas so they have a lot less Green space in comparison. In actuality trees benefit by keeping you not only cooler in the summer but they also if you have a lot of trees I find cuz I live right door to a woods it's it sometimes warmer because the trees can block the cold wind and the leaves and the pines create a natural warmth to the natural pathways. So could actually keep spaces warmer and cooler. And to be fair this is the one thing I don't care about Europe for I love the Dutch for their bikeways but they do not have enough consideration for the Green space. Many areas of the Americas would rival Europe for its natural parks, green spaces. Well there are definitely areas that also look similar to Europe and how they have small dinky same looking trees they're also many areas that are a lot more greener. They're also alternatives that they could use like maybe not every pathway has to be concrete not only could this be cheaper like using gravel, but they could also use pavers. But they're definitely are areas in Europe that have much more green foliage like they have some wild grasses growing in it from what I've experienced watching trees grow is that they love grass I don't know why but they do I always seem to find trees growing in some kind of grass whether it's ornamental or it's wild. It's important to put permaculture and to layer it from the ground up. So in nature a forest would have ground cover then it would have a grassy maybe you would have a bush then you would have a forest canopy.

[@JorgeOrpinel]

"Green cover" statistics can be misleading. For example Hong Kong has huge green cover because of all the protected natural areas but people don't experience them in daily life. Even Mexico City will soon incorporate a new massive protected natural area (Texcoco lake bed), increasing green cover significantly, but again it doesn't mean most people will feel it in their daily lives. There are a bunch of new urban parks (notably linear parks around old rivers e.g. Canal Nacional) in low-income areas of in Mexico City though, which may not move the needle that much but are much more impactful.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

i agree these stats can be mislead and do need to be updated to, there are also stats for urban green spaces, which means parks and spaces people can use and the stats for green cover which can account for tree lined streets aswell as parks

[@elurbanosolitariocdmx1329]

Pareciera que el mundo solo conociera la colonia condesa Polanco y el zócalo 😂 Toda la ciudad de.mexico es verde hasta en el barrio más.umimde.se respeta en general la naturaleza obvio nunca falta un ignorante que destruye pero en general toda toda la ciudad está muy bien arbolada la condesa solo es un ejemplo pero en el sur de la ciudad hay colonias con bosques sobretodo en la zona de Perisur pero todo es muy verde en mi ciudad

[@RodrigoMera]

Yo creo lo más seco es el centro histórico... ahí casi nunca viven los árboles.

[@elurbanosolitariocdmx1329]

@@RodrigoMera tienes razón aunque ahí está la alameda.

[@TavoLL1511]

Shhh, es secreto. Deja que se queden en la Roma, que lo demás siga siendo para los chilangos.

[@elurbanosolitariocdmx1329]

@@TavoLL1511 así sea

[@elurbanosolitariocdmx1329]

@@gfrendanbo ?

[@daniellewarnholtz3385]

Mexico City is a Green City, many neighborhoods like San Angel, Coyoacán, Polanco, Chimalistac, Colonia Roma are Amazingly woody , and of course the Huge Chapultepec forest that is located in the middle of the city.

[@albertoestrada4579]

Lol thats only the west of the city, aka the areas that expats frequent. All the southeast and east side of the city is much of a less green area...

[@--julian_]

the rich areas...

[@DragonJadeGalactiko]

Chapultepec isn't in the middle of the city, i say is located in the northwest side of the cdmx, yet is an incredible green space for the inhabitants.

[@pepe-jt2zi]

@@--julian_ no necesariamente, en colonias como Santa María la Rivera, muchas por el área de Aragón y en la delegación Contreras y Azcapotzalco puedes encontrar áreas verdes, y eso por mencionar sólo algunas, también hay que decir que en las banquetas hay destinados espacios para que los ciudadanos puedan plantar árboles pero son los mismos ciudadanos los que no tienen interés o incluso los cortan o destruyen...

[@mr.poon.tang.92]

I feel like sometimes the data from the world health organization is manipulated or served in a way that tries to make certain countries look bad, idk if it's a political bias or some other reason, but mexico City is really green at least more than other major cities, in fact they're currently building a new park even bigger than chapultepec! It's going to be huge!

[@PeretRed]

The new public park is planned to open next year (2023) and is going to be named: " Parque Ecológico Lago de Texcoco "

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Wow this is exciting news, I get your point. These stats really depend on who and when the study was collected aswell.

[@alonsoperalta3634]

The thing is that these statistics doesn´t include green areas in either avenues or small streets, only "lineal parks" (as the Condesa one described in the video) and actually parks, although this green spaces all around exists only in the middle and upper class neighborhoods but huge zones as Iztapalapa, Iztacalco or Venustiano Carranza barely have trees in their streets or avenues. Coincidently, these last zones are full of middle-low and low class neighborhoods, which makes this statistic get lower. Also it doesn't count the ANP (Áreas Naturales Protegidas or Protected Natural Areas in english) into the urban area, which takes out places as Cerro de la Estrella, del Tepeyac, del Ajusco, Los Dinamos or Desierto de los Leones (which is not a desert or has any lions). Nor does it considerer the Conservation Area in the south of the city, which officially includes 51% of the total political territory of the city, this one because all that zone is not urban area. One last sad thing, the recovered area from the Lake of Texcoco that includes this new ecological park you are talking about, it's technically not in the limits of Mexico City, but it is part of the metropolitan zone, so it couldn´t be included in the sample unless they use a metropolitan one and not only the Mexico City one that I think was used for this video. I hope this clarifies a little bit the weirdness in the statistics, but as a resident and current city planner student I can say it's not far away from reality (sadly), but we are taking action to change this and be much more green!

[@emilioromero4696]

​@@LeafofLifeWorld No, the stats are well done. As a Mexico City resident, I can tell you there's a lot of trees, but barely any parks, it's something that has been studied a lot and some studies suggest Mexico City has a third of per capita green spaces than major European cities, Chapultepec is really big, but there's really not many other parks other than small plazas or two or three very concret-y parks in Condesa or Polanco. As someone who also lived in London, I can tell you it's completely different, I hope I'm not giving away too much personal information here, but where I lived there, Southwark park was a 20 min walk, and we had 3 or 4 other small, grass-full parks around our house that me and my dad could comfortably play football (soccer) in. And then you'd just take the tube and go to Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, Hyde Park, Reagent's Park, etc. Here in Mexico, the closest park to our home is called Jardín Aculco (25 min walk), which is this literal concrete plaza goo.gl/maps/T5mWnC2av2Rouaf6A. Other than that, there's a private park called Batán (55 min walk) that is very small and ungenuine park if that makes sense and that's pretty much it. And this is a very wealthy area, imagine the situation in poor suburbs, which have grown without control to the point where cars can barely fit in streets (which obviously have no sidewalks, let alone trees). Yes, there are some nice areas in the city and I love that a lot of them are full of trees, though I wish there were more parks with grass rather than quiosks and concrete. But there is no consistency in the rest of the city like there is in Europe, every single neighbourhood, however poor, will have quality streets that have sidewalks, stop signs, etc in them, and will be surrounded by big parks that are full of grass and beautiful, well-maintained areas

[@milliedragon4418]

And it's probably not like the data is messed up pollution that we do on a day-to-day basis still matters North America is really bad about being car dependent as so is a lot of the new world on quote. However, if you were to combine these things for instance having more bike friendly more pedestrian friendly North America would be far more greener than what it is.

[@hectordelarosah]

México city is a green city for the most.part...... I could list tens and tens of neighborhood s blessed by green areas. México City is gorgeous. it's climate is really marvelous too.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Thats good to know, it seems like 2.2% green cover isn't true and the statistics need to be updated

[@alonsoperalta3634]

@@LeafofLifeWorld I think it´s true from a certain point of view, the statistics doesn´t include green areas in either avenues or small streets, only "lineal parks" (as the Condesa one you described) and actually parks. Although this green spaces all around exists only in the middle and upper class neighborhoods (Condesa, Roma, Del Valle, Coyoacán Centro or Narvarte to mention a few) and huge zones as Iztapalapa, Iztacalco or Venustiano Carranza barely have trees in their streets or avenues. Coincidently, these last zones are full of middle-low and low class neighborhoods (and of course, these are not touristic unless you met someone who lives there), which is a representative of the inequality levels in the city. I hope this clarifies a little bit the weirdness in the statistics, but as a resident and current city planner student I can say it's not far away from reality (sadly).

[@alejandromilici7763]

In Caracas there are many neighborhoods like this, sadly some municipal governments are cuting some trees whitout replacing them.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Thats such a shame! Why are they cutting them down in the first place?

[@alejandromilici7763]

@@LeafofLifeWorld incompetence and corruption, search about the garage managment called Fospuca, they even have some lawsuits beacus of that. They allege that is just pruning but they have cut many healthy centenary native trees, and in the best clases they replace them with non native date palms.

[@cesarfigueroa9545]

Todo Latinoamérica tiene sitios así no nada más caracas o Mexico

[@mrparts]

@@alejandromilici7763 the Goverment in that country has removed thousands of trees in Caracas since it is a good business for contractors. The replacement with wimpy palms that provide no shade is disgusting.

[@jsr1296]

@@cesarfigueroa9545 El en ningun monento dijo que el resto de latinoamerica no los tenga

[@RodrigoMera]

Everyone in Mexico wishes his neighborhood had streets so green and walkable like Condesa's. There are places as green in San Angel or Del Valle, but in fact the more recent the neighborhoods the more car oriented and American suburb like they are.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

i hope their wish can come true, maybe soon enough more trees will be planted there, i hope!

[@josedejesuslopezdiaz]

not really i really love coyoacan's vibe.

[@infintyplus]

@@LeafofLifeWorld all the trees and bushes in cities create an ugly aesthetic , costs extra money to maintain, leaves a mess on the sidewalks creates more hiding spaces for bugs and rodents causes more allergy problems.

[@KJSvitko]

Every transportation planner and local elected officials need to wake up and make cities more people and bicycle friendly. Natural areas make cities more livable. Send your local official an email or a link to a youtube video and ask that they make your community safer for walking, cycling and breathing.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

100% as you said we need more natural areas not just trees that are put in concrete prisons and left to die, we need areas of biodiverse ecosystems so green spaces can function properly.

[@FCB-ez4fl]

Too much green om street level can make cities feel unsafe. Safety is the most important quality of a city. Too much green also blocks the view of great architecture. There are very green cities like Singapore where you can barely walk as there are roads everywhere. On the other hand European cities are much more walkable. I prefer walkability ofer dead green spaces.

[@milliedragon4418]

Absolutely

[@teddymoon3744]

very smart having alot of trees....creates fresh air and lowers the temperature........we need to make lakes full of ocean water and grow seaweed kelp forests....it makes 50% of oxygen

[@trenomas1]

Lol. In Portland Oregon we joke that our tallest building is a fir tree.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

You guys seem to have is sussed 🌳🌲🌳🌲

[@trenomas1]

@@LeafofLifeWorld I think it's more of a passive thing. We grew slower than most other cities. By the time we had a growth explosion, we already had neighborhoods with fifty, hundred-year old elms and oaks.

[@lecourtart6638]

Thank u so much, you still showing us new places with amazing projects in my country, there is in the middle of the city that i lived named Chapalita, good vibes from Guadalajara

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 your country is beautiful and people very friendly thank you!

[@scottmary5526]

CURITIBA and MARINGÁ, Brazil are examples of clean, safe and prosperous cities. Every tourist needs to know them!

[@AM-yi4dd]

Mexico has Puebla, Merida, Taxco, Querétaro, Aguascalientes, San Miguel de Allende etc. Some of these cities are even world famous.

[@alfonsoreyes8744]

@@AM-yi4dd Pero Curitiba tiene mejor transporte publico y diseño urbano, con eso nos gana

[@BadBoy93143]

I have been living in Mexico City for 2 years now and that place which is close to were I live is my favourite to walk and bike around because of its tranquility and peace. The park in it (Parque México) is so nice and cozy that you can feel how time stops and just enjoy the moment.

[@AfroChilanGringo]

I live part time in Mexico City and used to live in the Colonia (neighborhood) called Hipodroma Condesa. This is one of a very few examples of great City Planning in Mexico. The title is clickbait, but it does make a good point on how we can all learn from each other.

[@cmnweb]

Love the aerial footage of Mexico city, very modern

[@RodrigoMera]

look for Normal Mexican Guy

[@gasparole]

Not easy or cheap to build skyscrapers in a city prone to earthquakes.

[@rolandomontana1389]

@@gasparole true but they are becoming the best buildings against earthquakes, and other countries are taking notes

[@Bamm1894]

@@gasparole and is sinking

[@axlroses4895]

In Mexico City we respect trees and nature a lot

[@cesarfranciscoriverasoto9116]

It's a really big shame that the rest of the city isn't willing so easy to be like that. Hope that changes in the near future

[@varkgriep]

You should look into South African cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria, we have the largest urban forest with trees growing on most of not all streets

[@moony2703]

That reminds me of how I used to walk/bike to school as a little kid, just this whole narrow block of land of a footpath with trees dotted along it. The closest I’ve seen to it since is footpaths along rivers.

[@AlexCab_49]

Los Angeles needs to take notes because it's getting hotter and the lack of tree cover makes walking hell during the hot summer months

[@hhwippedcream]

I saw a landscape crew leaf-blowing a bioswale at a popular shopping center... That property owner is spending a lot of money disabling an expensive installation.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Landscaping departments need to be taught permaculture principles

[@hhwippedcream]

@@LeafofLifeWorld And creative waste stream processes to put excess to good use guided by those permaculture principles. thanks much for sharing your experiences and reflections. Much appreciated!

[@MR-tn5kv]

You should see Querétaro, Mexico. Much smaller, but in the Spanish tradition it is almost bald - very few trees. The tiny Central Park, Alameda is lovely with gorgeous trees that hint at what the city could have been like. Condesa, Roma, Chapultepec, & a few others in Mexico City are gorgeous neighborhoods, principally because of the trees and little parks that dot them

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Thank you, actually I visited Quetetaro, apart from the old town which is quite walkable but very little tree cover, the rest of the city is just rings of traffic and the taste of gasoline in the air

[@luisfelipecamacho8412]

@@LeafofLifeWorld yes during some decades in Mexico we started to lean towards American bad urban planning, but thankfully that has being changing in the last decade. I used to have the same view of qro, but in the last decade they have moved slowly to better walkable infrastructure. You still need the highways to move long distances, but you now have nice walkable avenues like universidad, Ezequiel Montes and some small parks that are not only in the city center. Check the new big project at 5 de febrero where they are going to rebuild the highway into partially underground, that's going to be a great improvement.

[@RodrigoOswego]

Queretaro is being designed like a midsized US city. Vehicle centric and full of large shopping centers and strip malls. It is rather ugly.

[@luisfelipecamacho8412]

@@RodrigoOswego the suburbs maybe, but keep in mind Mexican density is way higher. But the core of the city can be saved specially now that authorities seem to have noticed the huge mistakes they did in the past.

[@RodrigoOswego]

@@luisfelipecamacho8412 I certainly hope so. I know that it is relatively expensive to preserve old fashioned aesthetics in comparison to US style suburbia. But the wise know that it is even more expensive trying to convert an ugly and dysfunctional vehicle centric city back into something more sane and beautiful.

[@laughingvampire7555]

Avenue Amsterdam used to be a racecourse, horses were running there, that is why it has that shape and it has that width, is just perfect, and for biking you don't even need a dedicated lane because cars go slow. In the middle is Parque Mexico and has a playground for dogs. With both the Earthquake of 2017 and the Pandemic multiple businesses went broke there. Is a very nice place to walk, is very relaxing.

[@DDJDOTCOMM]

We might have a lot of green areas, The Chapultepec forest and more… but we still are one of the most polluted cities not only in Mexico but also in the world, greetings from a “Chilango” 👋🏽

[@mmkjijhuks1841]

I like this video a lot. It clearly is a bit biased but the 'other videos' about Mexico City are very biased and sensationalist. I like this person's English much better. 🇨🇦🇺🇲🇲🇽

[@daddyleon]

This makes me think of a street in Barcelona. It was beautiful to walk there! The green, the free dirt/sand with leaves on it. It was such a calming experience!

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Which street was that in Barcelona?

[@daddyleon]

@@LeafofLifeWorld I'm not too sure. It wasn't common, though there as mroe green in Barça than I expected. Maybe it was Plaça d'Urquinaona? I had a similar feeling a couple of years before when I saw the Planeta building in Barça (Avinguda Diagonal, 662). But yeah these images of Mexico City are even better, that would truly be amazing! (Looks nothing like Amsterdam, unfortantely. Amsterdam is in no way that lush.)

[@tomascastillo4676]

México will have the biggest Urban Park, the enlarged Chapultepec Will have more than 3 times central Park.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Fantastic, I heard it will be x2 but x3 is better

[@1rjona]

I question the low number of green space that they are saying Mexico city has. Compared to what cities? I lived in Manila, Singapore and Shanghai. Singapore certainaily lots of jungle within the city limt but only the army goes their. Mexico certainly has more and bigger parks than Manila and Shanghai despite a drier climate

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

I think your right they need to update the numbers for mexico i reckon. The percentage is not compared to another city its just out of 100% so only 2.2% out of 100% seems very low

[@donaquinilator4959]

Manila don’t need green areas man, they live in the jungle

[@1rjona]

@@donaquinilator4959 yes , a concrete jungle

[@ivanrodriguez268]

Shanghai is all concrete

[@1rjona]

@@ivanrodriguez268 oh there is lots of parks in Pudong side. Advantage of Communist Central planning is they build everything from the apartments, parks , bus stops , etc. They are handing those apartments over to former farmers, so they better have some greenery Also in old Shanghai there is People Square en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Square

[@kash1974]

Wow!!

[@carlosespinoza2453]

In the coastal area of Lima is an ambicious proyect of transforming the grey coast to green coast. The name is Costa Verde and covers several kilometers of cliff facing the Pacific Ocean. It is designed and maintain by several districts facing the ocean. The greener areas are in San Isidrio, Miraflores , Barranco and Chorrillos covering 60% of the surface. The next districts joining to this iniciative that has several years to achieve are Magdalena del Mar and San Miguel. They all irrigated with treated waste waters

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

thank you, im excited to look into this

[@mackina1]

In more northern climates, where the sun is less constant, trees can be controversial. The desire for direct sunlight into appartments and onto balconies means that the trees must be so small as to not cast a meaningful shade. Without large trees you just can't get the same amount of greenery and the same lush look for the streets. This is an Apples to carrots comparison, different climates need a different urban forms to function optimally. Also, you did'nt discus how Amsterdam and Latin American cities has different porpotions of public space and semi private space. Which can be very good, but gives a different feel..

[@milliedragon4418]

In the winter unless you're getting it evergreen that shouldn't really be a problem deciduous they lose their leaves in the winter. Also you can put gazing balls to help mitigate that. I live in a very shady house with lots and lots of trees. If you choose a lot of light flowers, reflective surfaces you can get more light. And as a person who actually lives near woods I can actually tell you it can sometimes mean it's warmer because you usually in a natural wooded area you have a lot of ground cover which provides warmth which is warmer than concrete and cooler than asphalt. Trees can actually help block the wind. Actually feels warmer in the woods than it does in an open area. And it doesn't completely block out light. However I do however thank you can't just plant trees you have to plant a permaculture which is exactly what they're showing and that sort of what's missing.

[@jasielguerrerokim6448]

Gente, algo que deben de saber de la Ciudad de México es que la Condesa NO LO ES TODO, ni el centro de la ciudad, el resto cuenta con pocas áreas verdes y una baja densidad, además de que es una ciudad que ha crecido para favorecer el uso del automóvil. El que tenga muchos árboles hace ver linda esa parte de la ciudad, pero el resto es totalmente diferente

[@carlosgranadosromero3335]

Estoy en desacuerdo contigo, ya que en delegaciones cómo Gustavo a Madero, Venustiano Carranza, Iztapalapa, Tláhuac tienen áreas verdes abundantes, obvio no cómo en la zona poniente ya que el suelo de esas áreas es salino, pero si tiene bastantes parques y zonas recreativas. Si hablamos del Edo de mex es otra cosa

[@123-e3e2g]

Z

[@senorital.5806]

No pos si de árboles se trata la sierra de Durango y sus pueblos tienen más árboles que la ciudad de México jajjaja. Los pendejo extranjeros deberían fijarse si hay agua o sobre los sismos o la latente explosión volcánica pero se fijan más en los árboles. SI es así acá en Guadalajara la colonia americana la avenida República La Colonia chapalita y la misma Guadalajara tiene más arbolado que la ciudada de México contando la barranca de huentitan 😆

[@herrfolley]

Wow 1:22 is my hometown Gijón (Spain)

[@sualtam9509]

The greenest cities in the world are (HUGSI Green Space Index): Charlotte, USA Durban, RSA Vilnius, Lithuania Krakow, Poland Dortmund, Germany. If we look at the country with the most listings in the Top 100, then Germany is the country with the greenest cities on average.

[@dootyminnozezelochi2257]

Charlotte has a lot of trees, but it DEFINITELY isn't anywhere near being the "greenest city" if the term is supposed to have a connotation of sustainability. In Charlotte, with the exception of a few small sections near downtown and the streetcar, residents are forced by the horrible urban design of the city to use one and only one mode of transportation if they want to have any semblance of a decent life, and that happens to be the least energy efficient and most environmentally destructive one, private automobiles. Everything there is so spread out that few destinations are within walking distance, there isn't enough population density to support good public transit, commercial and residential uses are heavily segregated, and streets frequently lack sidewalks and are often designed for high speed traffic that makes it too dangerous to ride a bike or walk in the street. That doesnt sound very green to me.

[@sualtam9509]

@@dootyminnozezelochi2257 It's green in the percentage of trees, grassland and water. It's just extremely ridiculous how Mexico City is held up as green city because of one street, when the rest is a concrete jungle.

[@dootyminnozezelochi2257]

@@sualtam9509 Mexico City objectively has FAR less negative environmental impact per person than Charlotte. CDMX is responsible for 2.8 metric tons of Co2 emissions per capita, while Charlotte is responsible for over 400% more, 11.65 tons. I guess my point is that when it comes to environmental impact, the amount of green space is VERY far down the list of important factors.

[@sualtam9509]

@@dootyminnozezelochi2257 OK, but the point of the video and my comment was about green space. Green can mean different things according to context.

[@ottmarmontes]

Cool to see a diffent take. Most city design channels etc tend to say the opposite and claim its the worst designed city in the world!

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

tell me about, i get that Mexico is sinking, but that was nothing to do with the people who originally settled on the lake, that was all because of colonization. So its kinda unfair to Mexico to keep saying how bad it is.

[@--julian_]

@@LeafofLifeWorld the sinking is not the only design "flaw" people criticize tho

[@ivanrodriguez268]

There is a HUGE misconception spread around by bloggers, bad news media and tree cutting companies in the US that blame tree roots for foundation issues. Yes some trees will damage foundations but really most do NOT. It takes good design, proper species of tree for the area and good soil for the trees and foundations to live happily close to each other. Foundations in homes and buildings tend to move around because the ground they are on tends to be soft or mushy. Dry spells or too much water changes the volume and the weight settles the foundations and sinks them if the soil is too loose. Giving this information to people is difficult because most are convinced the trees are the cause of their foundation problems and so they remove the trees. Happens a LOT in Houston TX.

[@jorgeramirez57]

The problem with Mexico City (and Mexico in general) is that these green areas are saved for the "privileged" upper class, and everyone pretty much is stuck with whatever "profit centered" idea the local government has. In the city I live, we had beautiful streets with trees along the way, but they were chopped down to make way for car bridges and tunnels, and the local government just put some "trees" on pots that looked nice for the inauguration pictures, but soon after they dried up for lack of maintenance and have been removed (not to mention when someone crashes, they often leave the broken infrastructure there for weeks or months). This instead of improving public transport, which is another topic altogether. Many people that live in these green bubbles, such as La Condesa, often have this idea that "Mexico is not that bad. I go outside for walks all the time. Why do people not do the same?" Because they think everyone has access to places like this. Even if they're parks around, they're mostly not well maintained and become dangerous for that reason... Man, one can't have good stuff here...

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

its a shame because the streets of condesa was suppose to be for the working class, the green city movement which was all based around giving workers better living conditions the trees in pots is exactly not good for hot dry climates, they have to be watered, this is why the streets of condesa are interesting because the WAY in which the trees have been planted to create an ecosystem which allows for the success of the trees to thrive, and need much less maintainence

[@Darioci93]

@@LeafofLifeWorld Condesa wasn't designed for working class, it was designed for middle and middle upper class, including immigrants, that wanted to move from the old city center...

[@milliedragon4418]

Another thing is that they can think about alternative pathways like instead of concrete pathways they could use gravel in some areas gravel is also cheaper. This especially a great option if you want to create pathways and more rural areas. Pavers are also a great alternative and are a little bit nicer. Yes I do agree that many of Europeans fell in this department this is one of the areas that they can't be smug on. That I actually think and a lot of North American areas are much more like this but they're also many that still have a lot more European tradition as well.

[@charlestonianbuilder344]

I thought it was clickbait, but you have a point, greenery isnt what i usually isnt my first thought about when talking about good cities, usually walkability and independence from cars, still better than the US

[@Tamales21]

Vertical indoor farming will do good once it gets to hot to grow outside.

[@rodrigoa.4980]

You... you are kidding, right? Mexico City is a LIVING HELL

[@mikeL1080p]

So nice! I hope they will adopt this LA as well. In Europe it's hard to plant shrubs and bushes in urban areas because in the Winter they will lose all the leaves won't look nice.

[@ivanrodriguez268]

there are several evergreen species available for cold northern climates, just need to research them

[@arturoo.1719]

Im Mexican and also lived in Europe. This video doesn't reflect the reality of Mexico. This video only reflect the rich neighborhoods, but the great majority of people in my country lives in poverty.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Well we kinda said that in the video but I've heard they are building a new park, how close will that be to poorer neighborhoods?, you do realize that poor neighborhoods in Europe are also not green too?

[@shake2800]

Then, You don't really know mexico. That's not true and this video show mexico city in all angles, it's really green and it's well designed Maybe you confused with all the cities around mexico city.

[@pepe-jt2zi]

Las ciudades con mucha vegetación son las más hermosas!

[@AsU-yz9lo]

Great video

[@WouterStekelenburg]

Few streets in Amsterdam are as green as Amsterdam Avenue and that is a pity. The city council of Amsterdam would argue that more green would make Amsterdam's streets less safe. The trees reduce the visibility of traffic which causes accidents. The social control from houses looking out on the streets is also reduced, which causes more street crime. Finally, during storms trees fall over, crushing cars, houses, and people nearby. So, isn't Mexico city going overboard on Amsterdam avenue? Looking at the examples in the video, I also wonder if this isn't a comparison of apples and oranges in some cases. Cities have many different streets with many different purposes and maybe Amsterdam Avenue can only be that green because another street with little green nearby handles the car traffic. A shopping street where customers and suppliers need easy access to the shops may not be such a good place for a jungle. Amsterdam is a lot greener and more walkable than the examples shown in the video, with larger trees that get more space. Perhaps I am underestimating how many streets in Amsterdam are about as green as Amsterdam Avenue. Either way, most cities can do better.

[@criscortez3795]

The other avenues handling the nearby traffic is Insurgentes Avenue. It is also filled with trees in the sidewalks and in the median strip. But to be fair, it is less green than Amsterdam avenue. And Nuevo León avenue, it is just a little less greener than Amsterdam avenue

[@cmnweb]

Check out the main avenue in CDMX...Reforma ave. have a lot of traffic, skyscrapers and is very green and walkable

[@eujeniacruz6875]

Casi toda Ciudad de México es verde, es parte de su naturaleza.

[@BadBoy93143]

@@cmnweb specially between Fuente de Petroleos and Chapultepec Park entrance, the trees even cover the whole street making a very relaxing shade.

[@up2nogod771]

Just amazing ♥♥♥♥

[@MassiveChetBakerFan]

LOVELY!!

[@vexcarius7100]

I agree how boring European tree lines are. Growing from a tropical country, ferns, grasses, and plants just shootup given a good shade, and sunlight. Tropical gardens also give feeling of safety and tranquility.

[@frantiseknovotny2674]

We don't need so many trees on our streets or squares because here in Central Europe we need shade only 3-4 months of the year. The rest of the year direct sun is either welcoming or non existing.

[@garlandstrife]

La Condesa is just one upper class neighbourhood in Mexico City, not even 5% of the city looks this nice. Impossible to state that the WHOLE Mexico City is better than ANY European city.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

But the garden city movement on which the design was based on wasn't meant to be for Upper class

[@garlandstrife]

@@LeafofLifeWorld It started as an upper-middle class neighbourhood, favoured by foreigners since its inception - including Americans, Germans and Jews. It's far from being a proper ‘Mexican’ neighbourhood, always cosmopolitan and very influenced by Europe and the US.

[@100paris]

Greetings from CDMX 🥑🌶🌽🌵

[@adurpandya2742]

lol, love this title. and the video.

[@JoseMartinez-df2db]

Mexico had green blocks known as milpas before the Spanish destroyed them by draining them. Cortes even called it the most beautiful city he has ever seen before he destroyed it.

[@JaviepalFordring1]

Ahora vengan a hablar de la excelente arquitectura de Chimalhuacán hehehh

[@waterym1449]

Amazing how you don't see homeless like you see in San Francisco and Los Angeles CA.

[@anaz5918]

Exactly I laugh when people say California is turning into Mexico when talking about the homeless problem in their cities obviously these people have never been to Mexico let alone Mexico City .

[@Zerch-gi9qr]

Esperen el futuro parque texcoco y verán lo que es una ciudad verde real.

[@Sblatus]

That street is beautiful but sadly it is the exception in Mexico, very rare

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Its not a street its a neighbourhood and according to alot of people in the comments there are many neighborhoods like this in Mexico City, I know there are a few more but I don't visit them first hand

[@Sblatus]

@@LeafofLifeWorld Amsterdam it is a street with lots of greenery.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Correct Amsterdam is a street but la condesa is a neighbourhood

[@Sblatus]

@@LeafofLifeWorld dumb

[@joscaffeine8881]

DISENAN GARAGES MUY BONITOS

[@ricardovargas4148]

True👍

[@luigibenni3449]

Mexico City has 22 million people, most of them cannot access a park at a walking distance, while most of European cities may suck, but offer that chance. A green street in a rich downtown neighbourhood doesn't cater for millions of poor residents.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

La Condesa wasn't always a rich neighbourhood in the end, alot of the rich people left for other newer more fashionable neighborhoods, La Condesa also became very run down after the earthquake, and alot of lower income people lived there until it got gentrified again. It was the green streets that made it desirable once again. Green awareness is on the rise now in Mexico and they apparently building more green spaces right now so let's see, Paris and Amsterdam also have really low green spaces statistics so I'm not sure how true that there are parks within walking distance in all European cities

[@carlosespinoza2453]

That kind of environment using trees and wider parks where trying to replicate a lushy environment can been seen In the upscale areas of Lima, Peru. Several examples of this can be seen in places as Avenida San Borja Sur , Campo de Marte in Jesus Maria, El Olivar in San Isidro, Avenida Javier Prado Oeste, Avenida Salaverry, etc. Most of these districts having about 6 to 9 m2 green area per habitant . . .

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Wow that amazing i would like to learn more about these places, thank you!

[@josepadilla7052]

Really?? Never heard that, and never seen it anywhere.

[@shiroumxm2052]

i looked in Google street view and dont know what you are talking about honestly..i does not look like this places in Mexico city.. what you mentioned are just common, regular green areas in any city

[@JosueLopez-kk9us]

all of mexico is kinda designed like this, almost all streets have a middle walkable line with plants in it, if only we had the money to take care of it, it would look beautiful

[@victorserrano8294]

There are still lots of parts of Mexico City that deserves such greens spaces such as the ones you showed in colonia Condesa (coincidentally one of the most expensive and touristic neighborhoods). I think it's a bit misleading when we're not even close to be considered an example of a green city.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

I know that's the shame condesa was suppose to be based on the garden city which was suppose to be inclusive, at one time it was very run down an, and lower income families living there until it got gentrified again, something that happens everywhere the most desirable neighoods attract the tourists and money

[@valerievankerckhove9325]

Um... most of Europe is a Lot cooler than Mexico. I live in Belgium and here it rarely goes over 25C year-round (save for the rare heat waves), and it's often cloudy so there isn't that much sunlight. In other words, there isn't that much need for shade (on the contrary, people try to get as much sunlight as they can, everybody is vitamin-D deficient) or for cooling, and the species that can grow easily here aren't the same as in Mexico.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Okay but don't you need trees for clean air?

[@valerievankerckhove9325]

@@LeafofLifeWorld But air in Europe is less polluted than in Mexico, there's plenty and wind and such that blows it away.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

So they don't have wind in Mexico?

[@jorisbreepoel7785]

Isn't it strange to compare the the situation of 1 city to an entire continent? it is far from a fair comparison.

[@josesegura2090]

Sadly that kind of design happens most often in the most affluent neighborhoods on any major metropolitan city on the world 😷

[@marklevy1785]

Not true maybe some European cities but the US the more affluent usually means urban sprawl and single family car dependent suburbs

[@aldodiaz4850]

Make a video of El Bosque de Chapultepec, this park is bigger than any park in the world 🌎

[@prjw73]

So Mexico City is not so well designed but it has some well designed green lanes.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

and more green lanes and parks coming soon

[@oskar2500]

Right! Finally one person understood the video. 👏🏽👏🏽

[@ashwindas6814]

🌳❤🌱👍👍

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

💚🌱🍃🌿🌲

[@isaacness2647]

ackchually, colonia condesa used to be a circiut for horse races until the early 1900´s, then it became a luxury neighbourhood after the revolution war, thats why there's plenty of nature on it's streets, and yeah it's a pretty town, but go west and you'll find the urban inspired Santa Fe, not at all friendly with pedestrians or bikes, designed to be used only by cars

[@auto060113]

Hay quá

[@kanguro1804]

If you say so... 🤣👌🏼

[@hugoc1012]

"Tenotchtitlan wasn't built in a day"! Hugo Cachua

[@B-hm7rg]

Only Polanco, condesa, Roma and maybeeee Santa Fe and Interlomas but besides that it’s slums or exactly like Europe around el centro and zócalo lol it’s only the rich nice areas, drive 2 minutes away from Polanco or reforma and u will find slums and street dogs

[@Juliossca]

Even so, México city is one of the greenest cities in México.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Thats good to hear

[@King-Ghidora]

Well, it is true that Mexico City has concrete jungles like big parts of Neza, but many neighborhoods have their own parks, like Parque Hundido, Parque de los Venados, Parque Pipila, Huerto Roma and so on. There are also major parks like Alameda Central which leads to Bosque (forest) de Chapultepec, Bosque de Aragon and Ciudad Deportiva (where Mexico's F1 race track is located). Even downtown D.F. has trees, it was just not designed to be green; blame the Spanish for that. Let's not forget that the Mexicas built Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City or D.F.) over a lake bed that covered over half of the valley of Mexico. The Spanish drained the lake and built Mexico City. Trees therefore are relatively new to the heart of Mexico City.. Speaking of lakes, the former site of the ill-fated and poorly planned NAIM airport in Texcoco, is being converted to recreate and expand the diminished Lake Texcoco. In square foot area, the new nature preserve should be bigger than Chapultepec and will providie blue and green areas. Its main biproduct: stopping urban sprawl.

[@ghievlain08villaver68]

Then you should react also to Philippines green cities here Like BGC green city And Ayala alabang Green city same as Mexico green city urban design ...

[@FCB-ez4fl]

European cities are the top ranked cities for quality of life and the Eixample is the best example of urban planning. Look where people all over the live want to travel to and live. It's Europe.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

on the one hand you could say this, however many Europeans choose throughout history to colonize the rest of the world and leave Europe for many reasons, some because they hated how oppressive it was at the time, or lack of opportunities, now people leave because the populations are very dense, which comes with its own draw backs. Although some EU cities may have high quality of life ranking, mainly richer more affluent European countries. And despite their rankings, still many European cities do not have enough green cover, and rank low for UGS, probably because they plant the trees in concrete and they die.

[@pacoceja4659]

❤️🌱🌱🌱

[@aldodiaz4850]

Because this is a middle class neighborhood, almost all middle class neighborhoods in Mexico city look like this.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

But as we talked about in the video, it was not meant to be an upper class neighborhood, it was designed specifically for working class

[@sergios4620]

What are you talking about?, most cities in Mexico have this green parks available to the public

[@lidiagutierrez7983]

This is because the auto industry hasn't taken over human beings like in most of the first "world countries" have

[@mbosch-i6j]

Fue diseñada por los españoles como todas las ciudades de América. Su modelo es San Cristóbal de la Laguna en Tenerife, Islas Canarias, España.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Is that correct all Spanish cities are designed from san cristobal in Tenerife?

[@mbosch-i6j]

@@LeafofLifeWorld Es el modelo. Todas se diseñaron como una cuadrícula con la Plaza de Armas en el centro, donde estaba el Cabildo, la Catedral, la Gobernación Militar. Vea el plano de La Laguna en Tenerife y lo comprenderá. Pero son las ciudades que se construyeron en la América Española. La Habana, Lima, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Cuba, etc. son similares.

[@SVC96.]

@@mbosch-i6j NI MADRES GALLEGO A QUIEN PRETENDES ENGANIER

[@mbosch-i6j]

@@SVC96. lee un poco ignorante hermano latinoamericano.

[@alfonsomalpica8312]

@@mbosch-i6j las colonias que se ven el vídeo no fueron construidas ni por los españoles o los novohispanos que sería lo más correcto, solo el centro histórico y lugares que eran pueblos como Coyoacán, San angel, el centro de Tlalpan o Azcapotzalco, las colonias como condesa, la Roma, Juárez, hipódromo datan de la época Porfiriana, dónde participaron arquitectos tanto mexicanos como estadounidenses, italianos, franceses, ingleses.

[@as14j]

It's very unsuitable to put Bercelona, one of the most appriciated city for its marvelous city design and planning, on the profile pic in the video as the bad example of European cities!

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Funny you should think that because Barcelona has some of the lowet urban green spaces stats in Europe, alot of the clips of dead trees and trees encased in concrete were actually taken from Barcelona, plus its one of the most car dependant cities in Europe and as a result its awful to walk around as a pedestrian, not to mention the design of the blocks makes it longer and more annoying to walk around

[@frantiseknovotny2674]

Well, most of the Europe and especially North and Central Europe have way less sun and it is most of the year way lower than in Mexico city, so you need the shade only few months a year not almost whole year so there is no such a need to have trees everywhere.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Interesting, but what I have read in history is that many European cities were built narrow so buildings shade the street, also in the middle ages which is when many of these cities were founded, the climate was actually hotter in Europe then. Further more trees provide many more benefits apart from shade, such as improved air quality, better for peoples well being and better for biodiversity

[@frantiseknovotny2674]

@@LeafofLifeWorld 1. I agree that trees (and shrubs) provide way more benefits than just shade, I planted hundreds of them on my lands myself. 2. This appliea maybe somewhere in Spain, south Italy or Greece but for example streets here in Czechia (Bohemia) were built this way because of the safety and economical reasons because city had to be as small as possible to fit into walls. 3. No, the climate in warm period 12-14th century was similar as in the half of 20th century but now in 21st century it is already warmer.

[@shine-on-tv8082]

That area the video is talking about is one of the richest neighborhood in Mexico.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

But it wasn't always, after the earthquakes alot of the rich people migrated to Polanco then over the years la condensa got gentrified again

[@yaash4123]

More shade for cars!

[@LuisGutierrezG123]

Green areas are great, but Mexico City has a severe water problem. Also, since it was built over a dry lake its foundations are weak, and coupled with seismic activity makes it a recipe for disaster. So, not a good city planning after all.

[@LeafofLifeWorld]

Funny you should mention that because the city was fine when the aztecz had floating gardens on a lake that made the city completely zero waste and self sufficient so no, it was incredibly well designed until Europeans came, drained the lake and built all this concrete shot on top

[@godzuky148]

Lie, lie, lie...I lived in México City is a CAOS, Is horrible the Bad way that the City was growing

[@arvinddora5258]

Amazing street planing ❤️❤️

[@nativoplantas2003]

Bamboo

[@BrownInEurope]

Yes, La Condesa is great. But the rest of the city is not as great. The suburbs are especially bad. There are few parks, and in Mexico City's east there are entire neighbourhoods without a single park. Being born and raised in Mexico City I know for a fact that most of the city was unplanned.