THE UNEQUAL GEOGRAPHY OF OPPORTUNITY IN MEGACITIES: A SPATIAL AND LIVING WAGE ANALYSIS OF MEXICO CITY

Forecasts predict that by 2030, the world will have 43 "megacities" of over ten million inhabitants. But megacity status comes with accelerating rates of economic and wealth inequality. The "center" city contains the majority of formal employment and gainful economic activity, wh...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of international affairs (New York) 2022-12, Vol.74 (1), p.125-16
Main Authors: Galdamez, Misael, Glasmeier, Amy K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access to education
Case studies
Central business districts
Cities
Consumption
Economic activity
Economic inequality
Economic opportunities
Economic resources
Employment
GDP
Geography
Gross Domestic Product
Households
Housing
Inequality
Infrastructure
Internet access
Living wage
Low income groups
Megacities
Population
Public policy
Quality of life
Standard of living
Transportation
Transportation services
Wealth
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Summary:Forecasts predict that by 2030, the world will have 43 "megacities" of over ten million inhabitants. But megacity status comes with accelerating rates of economic and wealth inequality. The "center" city contains the majority of formal employment and gainful economic activity, while outlying areas lack access to transportation services, quality housing, and broadband internet access. Mexico City, ranked sixth in the world by population, has a geographic core of approximately nine million people and generates 18 percent of Mexico's gross domestic product. Using Mexico City as a case study, we highlight the uneven geography of economic opportunity in modern megacities, employing a novel living wage analysis. We find that roughly 17 percent of three- and four-person households have sufficient economic resources for a dignified quality of life in Mexico City. Additionally, we analyze access to critical resources-including housing and transportation-to illustrate the precarity of Mexico City's citizens. Emblematic of the modern megacity, Mexico City must bridge deep fissures in its social and economic fabric with carefully crafted and intentional public policy.
ISSN:0022-197X