The meaning of 'social' in Mexican social housing: A study of housing developments in Mazatlán, Mexico

This thesis explores the social housing process in Mexico, which is mainly defined by the planning, construction and provision of housing, and ends with the delivery of the dwellings, overlooking the post-occupational stage of housing. This research focuses first on INFONAVIT, a Mexican institution in charge of administering a housing fund for workers since 1972 that has received many critiques because of its disconnection from the housing process since the late 1980s, when law reforms delegated the construction of housing to the private sector. Secondly, on private actors such as developers and construction companies, who have been critiqued due to the decreasing material quality and size of the houses. Finally, on social housing residents’ experiences with their houses and the built environment’s impact on their everyday life. Through an extensive qualitative approach, 19 actors involved in the housing design, planning and production process, and 50 residents in four housing projects in the city of Mazatlán, Mexico, were interviewed during a two-stage visit to Mexico City and Mazatlán. Along with the development of semi-structured interviewing, the architectural design of social housing units and the housing policies and regulations behind its production were analysed, making use of a multi-methods strategy combining direct observation, document analysis, analysis of secondary sources, and the use of photographs, architectural layouts and sketches. The findings of this research contribute to a deeper understanding of the meaning of ‘social’ in social housing, while acknowledging the need for a socially responsible planning and architectural design process. Due to the multi-disciplinary theoretical basis of this study, this thesis aims to be of interest not only to researchers, but also to inform practitioners in their decisions, including planners, architects, and policy makers.