The Mall and urban Development of Mexico City

In analyzing the history of Mexico City and its relationship with commercial activity, it can be seen that the challenges and commercial opportunities were forming the current city and continue to determine part of its constructive evolution. However, at present it seems that this dynamic has gotten out of control, because it seems that the public and family spaces have been replaced by public places of consumption.

 

From the pre-Hispanic market, passing through the Parian and the buildings with commercial premises on the ground floor of the later centuries, to the large departmental buildings, the activity of buying and selling products has marked an important axis in the becoming of Mexico City. However, in recent days, the impressive fall of part of the structure of Artz Pedregal, one of the newly created shopping centers, leads us to question the need for this type of space, and how they influence the formation of our city .

The emergence of this type of space was given as a result of the department stores, a commercial concept that emerged in 1852 in France with the creation of La Maison du Bon Marché in Paris. In Mexico, this genus of buildings was born in 1857 with the establishment of factories of France and later with the emergence of the Iron Palace in 1885. The growth of this type of stores in our country was gradual, little by little some others were emerging in such a way that by the end of the twentieth century, the market would be configured not only by national stores but also by some other international ones.

However, it can be considered to 1969 the year in which the commercial center format was established as we know it, more attached to the American model. Ample spaces, where they would be present one or a few department stores, of self-service and/or cinemas, all of them known as "anchor shops", sharing the space with smaller stores that offer a great diversity of products.  The shopping centers are developed, sometimes by the department stores and self-service, under the philosophy of "one Stop Shopping", ie to find in one place a variety of products with the aim of making more efficient use of time.

The optimization of time, marketing supported by a thriving industry, urban development that bet on modernity and confirmed the stratified lifestyle, the creation of a consumer society and the image of success based on material possession − "Tell me What you have and I will tell you who you are "− were key factors for the implantation and proliferation of these sites in our city.

Mexico is the country of Latin America with more shopping centers, about 650, and it is estimated that this number will continue to grow: for 2025, according to the International Center of Malls − an American think-tank focused on the development of the same −, that number could Get to the 760.

These shopping centers are no longer simple crowds of stores: they develop from "experiences", they sell "lifestyle" and their bet is, mainly, to create an emotional and experiential bond with their visitors. Open spaces, fountains, amusement parks, exclusive restaurants, electronic shops, cinemas… Each of these new shopping centers are designed to the smallest detail to convert private spaces and interests into "experiences" Public.

According to the newspaper El Financiero, the four malls that will open in 2018 in Mexico City, together, mean an investment of about eleven billion pesos: More than the government of the capital is investing in reconstruction after the Earthquake of the 19S, more than the one dedicated to infrastructure to avoid floods and a quarter of the whole federal budget to meet the consequences of the earthquakes of September of last year.

By contrast, in the United States since 2006 a single shopping centre has not been built and several studies indicate that between 25% and half of those 1, 200 still existing will be demolished, reused or abandoned in the next five years. Those who have already been abandoned − formerly lighthouses of the suburban life of the United States − have become documentary and even tourist curiosities.

Although this crisis tends to be explained by line sales (led by the Amazon giant), it has also been social and cultural changes that have hit so strongly this industry that was the major in the United States: a middle class, average High that moves back to the cities, abandoning the suburbs, "critical" and "green" consumption and the market of "experiences" have also been responsible elements for this industry to be on the verge of widespread crisis.

Based on the above, it is increasingly necessary to reflect on consumerism, the need for these commercial spaces, the way they build/destroy part of our city and mark the future of it, do we want this city to be for trade Or for everyone?

By laureate Martínez