Strengthening Ties Between Harvard, MIT, and Mexico’s Urbanist Community

Located in a historic textile factory from the 1920s in Mexico City’s Colonia Doctores, La Laguna México has become a vibrant hub where leaders in design, architecture, urbanism, gastronomy, and art converge. Its unique history and creative energy provided the backdrop for a recent gathering of alumni from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) and the MIT community.

The event featured Diane E. Davis, Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Co-Chair of the DRCLAS Mexico Studies Program, recognized for her scholarship on urban transformation, governance, and social change in cities, and Lorena Bello Gómez, PhD, Design Critic in Landscape Architecture at the Harvard GSD, whose expertise has shaped international climate adaptation projects. Together, they framed the dialogue as an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and possibilities of urban practice in Mexico.

Joining them was Roque González, Vice President of the Asociación Mexicana de Urbanistas and the first Mexican graduate in Urban Planning from the Harvard GSD.

At the core of the event was the intention to strengthen connections among urbanists living and working in Mexico, while also fostering networks that extend across the globe. The conversation highlighted the role of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) in supporting students and initiatives in Mexico.

One example is the Mexican Cities Initiative, funded by Harvard alumnus Rolando Uziel and administered by Diane Davis, which enables students to develop experimental projects throughout the country. These projects have explored themes such as urbanization, waste recycling, and urban film productions, some of which have been presented at international film festivals. Participants were encouraged to share their own work to showcase the impact of Harvard-affiliated scholars and practitioners in Mexico.

The gathering also emphasized the value of Harvard–MIT collaboration in addressing urban and planning challenges, highlighting the importance of building academic and professional bridges to improve living conditions in Mexico City and beyond.

Through this event, DRCLAS reaffirmed its mission to create meaningful dialogue and collaboration, strengthening ties between Harvard and the urbanist community in Mexico.