Preliminary Methodology for the Final Project

Preliminary Methodology

1. Case Study

2. Regulations

3. Comparative Analysis with Similar Green Projects

4. Semistructured Interview with Stakeholders

1. Case Study Analysis of Malecón Tajamar

A case study means you examine one real situation in depth.

How to do it:

• Collect background information: history, location, stakeholders involved.
• Identify the main issue: in this case, urban development vs. environmental protection.
• Analyze key events (e.g., construction phases, protests, legal actions).
• Use multiple sources: news articles, government reports, academic papers.

For students:

They should ask:

• What happened?
• Who was affected?
• What were the consequences (social, environmental, economic)?

Case Study: Urban Development as a Public Green Area – The Case of Malecón Tajamar

Introduction

The concept of urban development as a public green area has become increasingly relevant in contemporary city planning, particularly in rapidly growing tourist destinations. This case study examines Malecón Tajamar as an example of how urban expansion is framed within the discourse of sustainability. Located near the Nichupté Lagoon, the project was presented as a mixed-use development incorporating public green spaces. However, its implementation involved significant environmental transformation, raising critical questions about the relationship between urban growth, ecological preservation, and the definition of public green areas.

1.1. Context and Location

Malecón Tajamar is located in Cancún, Quintana Roo, adjacent to the Nichupté Lagoon. This area was originally characterized by extensive mangrove ecosystems, which are essential for biodiversity conservation, coastal protection, and water regulation.

The site forms part of Cancún’s broader urban expansion strategy, driven largely by tourism development. Over time, natural landscapes in the region have been transformed into infrastructure designed to support economic growth and urban connectivity.

1.2. Project Background and Objectives

The Malecón Tajamar project was conceived as a mixed-use urban development, including commercial areas, residential zones, road infrastructure, and public recreational spaces.

From an institutional perspective, the project was presented as incorporating public green areas, intended to enhance urban accessibility and improve the city’s image as a modern and sustainable tourist destination.

However, achieving this vision required a significant transformation of the original landscape, particularly through the clearing of mangrove vegetation.

1.3. Environmental Transformation

One of the most controversial aspects of the project was the removal of mangroves, which are protected under Mexican environmental legislation due to their ecological importance.

This transformation involved:

• The clearing of large areas of mangrove ecosystems
• Alterations to the natural hydrological dynamics of the lagoon
• The displacement of local wildlife and loss of habitat

As a result, the project led to a substantial reduction in natural green infrastructure, raising concerns about long-term environmental sustainability.

1.4. Social Conflict and Public Response

The development of Malecón Tajamar generated significant social conflict and public debate.

Environmental activists, local residents, and civil society organizations mobilized to oppose the project, arguing that it represented irreversible ecological damage. These actions included protests, legal challenges, and public campaigns.

The case illustrates broader tensions between:

• Economic development and environmental conservation
• Institutional decision-making and citizen participation
• Short-term urban growth and long-term sustainability

1.5. The Core Issue: Defining 'A Public Green Area'

A central issue in this case is the definition of a public green area.

Two main perspectives can be identified:

• Ecological perspective: Green areas should preserve or restore natural ecosystems such as mangroves
• Urban planning perspective: Green areas can include designed spaces such as parks, walkways, and landscaped zones

Malecón Tajamar highlights the conflict between these interpretations, as the project replaced a natural ecosystem with planned urban infrastructure that was partially framed as “green space.”

1,6. Relevance of the Case

This case is relevant for understanding:

• The challenges of integrating environmental sustainability into urban development
• The limitations of regulatory frameworks in protecting sensitive ecosystems
• The importance of public participation in urban planning processes

Overall, Malecón Tajamar serves as a contested example of urban development presented as a public green area, making it a valuable case for critical analysis in academic research.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the case of Malecón Tajamar highlights the complexities and contradictions inherent in urban development projects labeled as public green areas. While the project aligns with certain planning and legal frameworks, its environmental impact and the resulting social conflict suggest a disconnect between its intended objectives and actual outcomes. This case underscores the need for more rigorous integration of environmental sustainability and public participation in urban planning, as well as a clearer and more consistent definition of what constitutes a genuine public green space.

2. Review of Urban Planning and Environmental Regulations

This step connects the case study to laws and policies.

How to do it:

• Identify relevant institutions like SEMARNAT.
• Review laws such as:
  • Environmental protection regulations
  • Urban zoning laws
  • Mangrove conservation policies
• Compare what the law says vs. what actually happened in Tajamar.

For students:

They should evaluate:

• Were the regulations followed?
• Were there legal gaps or enforcement problems?

Preliminary Results: Review of Urban Planning and Environmental Regulations

The analysis of the regulatory framework surrounding Malecón Tajamar reveals a complex interaction between legal compliance, institutional decision-making, and environmental protection.

2.1. Formal Compliance with Environmental Procedures

Preliminary findings indicate that the project obtained authorization through environmental impact assessment procedures approved by SEMARNAT, in accordance with the Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente (General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection) and its corresponding Environmental Impact Assessment regulations.

From a legal perspective:

• The project followed the required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process
• It received formal approval under existing federal environmental legislation

This suggests that, at a procedural level, the development complied with the established legal framework.

2.2. Protection of Mangroves vs. Implementation Practices

Despite formal compliance, the regulatory review highlights a critical contradiction in relation to mangrove protection.

Key legal instruments include the Ley General de Vida Silvestre (General Wildlife Law) and the NOM-022-SEMARNAT-2003 (Official Mexican Standard NOM-022-SEMARNAT-2003 for Mangrove Protection), which establish guidelines for the preservation and sustainable use of mangrove ecosystems.

These regulations:

• Recognize mangroves as protected ecological zones
• Restrict activities that may cause environmental degradation

However, findings indicate that:

• Extensive mangrove clearing was authorized and carried out
• Environmental safeguards were insufficiently enforced or effectively bypassed

This reveals a clear gap between legal protection principles and actual environmental practices.

3. Urban Planning and Land Use Regulation

At the urban planning level, the project aligns with the Ley General de Asentamientos Humanos, Ordenamiento Territorial y Desarrollo Urbano (General Law of Human Settlements, Territorial Planning, and Urban Development), as well as local municipal development plans.

Under these frameworks:

• The area was designated for urban and mixed-use development
• The inclusion of public green areas formed part of the official planning narrative

Nevertheless:

• The concept of “green area” was applied primarily to constructed and landscaped spaces
• The original mangrove ecosystem was not preserved within this classification

This suggests a conceptual inconsistency, where natural green infrastructure was replaced by artificial green spaces while maintaining the same label.

2.4. Institutional and Governance Limitations

The review also identifies broader governance challenges:

• Limited coordination between environmental legislation and urban planning policies
• Weak enforcement mechanisms following project approval
• Insufficient public participation, despite existing legal provisions encouraging it

These factors contributed to a situation in which regulatory compliance did not ensure sustainable environmental outcomes.

2.5. Key Preliminary Insight

Overall, the regulatory analysis indicates that the case of Malecón Tajamar reflects a misalignment between legal frameworks and sustainability objectives.

Brief Analytical Conclusion

Although the project formally complied with key regulations such as the Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente (General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection) and the Ley General de Vida Silvestre (General Wildlife Law), its implementation contradicts the environmental protection principles established in these laws. This case demonstrates that legal compliance alone is insufficient to guarantee the preservation of ecosystems or the creation of genuinely sustainable public green areas.

3. Comparative Analysis with Similar Green Projects

This step adds critical thinking by comparing Tajamar to other cases.

Examples:

• Puerto Cancun
• Parque Cancun

How to do it:

• Select 2–3 similar projects.
• Compare:
  • Environmental impact
  • Community involvement
  • Long-term sustainability
• Identify best practices and mistakes.

For students:

They should answer:

• What was done better elsewhere?
• Could those strategies work in Cancún?

Preliminary Results: Comparative Analysis of Malecon Tajamar, Puerto Cancun, and Parque Cancun

The comparison between Malecon Tajamar, Puerto Cancun, and Parque Cancun provides a localized perspective on contrasting urban development strategies framed around the incorporation of public green areas within Cancun’s expanding urban landscape.

2.1. Development Model and Planning Approach

All three projects are embedded within broader strategies of urban expansion and tourism-driven economic growth. However, their planning approaches differ significantly in structure, intent, and execution.

Preliminary findings indicate that:

• Puerto Cancun was developed through a highly integrated and phased planning model, combining luxury residential zones, a marina, commercial infrastructure, and planned green areas within a cohesive framework.
• Malecon Tajamar was conceived as a mixed-use development with a strong public orientation, yet its implementation reflects fragmentation and a lack of consistent long-term planning.
• Parque Cancun represents a purpose-built public ecological park, with a planning logic centered on environmental restoration, community use, and non-commercial green space.

These differences suggest that while all three projects adopt the discourse of integrating green areas into urban development, Parque Cancun is the only case in which ecological and public functions constitute the primary objective rather than a secondary component.

2.2. Environmental Management and Ecosystem Impact

A key axis of comparison concerns the treatment of pre-existing ecosystems, particularly mangroves and coastal vegetation.

The findings show that:

• All three sites were originally characterized by mangrove ecosystems and hydrological networks.
• In Malecon Tajamar, development led to extensive and rapid mangrove removal, generating significant ecological disruption and public criticism.
• Puerto Cancun reflects a model of managed environmental transformation, where canals, landscaped areas, and controlled waterfronts partially integrate natural elements into the urban design.
• Parque Cancun, in contrast, prioritizes ecosystem preservation and restoration, maintaining existing vegetation and promoting biodiversity with limited intensive construction.

It is important to emphasize that:

• Puerto Cancun does not represent full ecological preservation, but rather a controlled adaptation of natural systems to fit commercial and residential objectives.
• Parque Cancun offers the closest approximation to conservation-oriented urban green space, although it remains embedded within an urban context.

3.3.  Public Accessibility and Use of Green Areas

The concept of “public green space” varies significantly across the three cases.

• Malecon Tajamar was framed as a publicly accessible space, yet its current functionality and accessibility remain limited.
• Puerto Cancun provides high-quality green and recreational areas, but access is often restricted or mediated through commercial consumption, primarily benefiting residents, tourists, and consumers.
• Parque Cancun is explicitly designed as a fully public and inclusive green space, promoting recreational, cultural, and environmental activities for the general population.

This comparison highlights three distinct conditions:

• Tajamar: public in discourse, limited in realization
• Puerto Cancun: functional but partially privatized
• Parque Cancun: accessible, inclusive, and community-oriented

3.4. Social Perception and Conflict

The three projects also differ in terms of social response and levels of conflict.

• Malecon Tajamar became a highly contested site, generating protests, environmental activism, and legal disputes due to ecosystem destruction.
• Puerto Cancun has experienced relatively low levels of visible conflict, likely due to its private investment structure, its positioning as a high-end development, and lower expectations of public environmental accountability.
• Parque Cancun has generally produced positive social perception, associated with environmental restoration, public benefit, and community engagement.

This contrast suggests that:

• Environmental conflict intensifies when projects are framed as public and ecological but fail to meet those expectations.
• Privatized developments tend to reduce public scrutiny.
• Projects aligned with public access and ecological restoration are more likely to generate social acceptance.

3.5. Key Comparative Insight

The comparison reveals three distinct models of urban green development:

• Malecon Tajamar: a contested and environmentally disruptive project framed as public space but lacking full realization
• Puerto Cancun: a controlled, functional, and commercially integrated environment with limited inclusivity
• Parque Cancun: a public, ecologically oriented urban park prioritizing accessibility and environmental value

While none of the cases fully achieves an ideal balance between ecological preservation, social inclusion, and urban development, Parque Cancun represents a shift toward a more sustainable and publicly oriented model within the local context.

Brief Analytical Conclusion

This comparative analysis demonstrates that “green urban development” encompasses a range of approaches shaped by economic priorities, governance structures, and environmental strategies.

The findings underscore the importance of critically evaluating:

• the degree of environmental integration (preservation versus transformation)
• the level of public accessibility (inclusive versus restricted)
• the distribution of benefits (collective versus selective)

Ultimately, the presence of green areas alone is insufficient to define sustainability. Their value depends on how they are designed, who they serve, and the ecological trade-offs they entail.

4. Semi-Structured Interview with Stakeholders

A semi-structured interview means you prepare questions but allow flexibility.

Who to interview:

• Local residents
• Environmental activists
• Urban planning experts

How to do it:

• Prepare 5–10 guiding questions (open-ended)
• Example:
  • “How has the project affected your community?”
  • “What environmental concerns do you have?”
• Record or take notes
• Identify common themes in responses

For students:

They should:

• Compare different perspectives
• Highlight agreements and conflicts

Semi-Structured Interview Guide

Case Study: Malecón Tajamar

1. Participant Information (General ID)

(To be collected at the beginning)

1. Age range:
   ☐ 18–25 ☐ 26–35 ☐ 36–50 ☐ 51+
2. Occupation / Role:
   (e.g., resident, activist, urban planner, student)
3. Relationship to the area:
   ☐ Local resident ☐ Visitor ☐ Professional involvement ☐ Other: ______

B. Main Questions

4. How would you describe the development of Malecón Tajamar?
5. In your opinion, what defines a public green area?
6. Do you consider Malecón Tajamar a public green space? Why or why not?
7. What environmental changes have you observed in the area?
8. How has the project affected the community or city?
9. What is your opinion on how authorities managed this project?
10. What would you recommend for future urban green developments?