Admittedly for several years in Puerto Vallarta there has been no Urban Development Plan in action. The enormous growth of the population and settlements in geographically high risk areas highlight this lack of necessary planning.
In its most basic definition, urban planning is a set of technical and policy regulations that are written to order and regulate land use for development or, where appropriate, for conservation.
Among the major problems currently affecting Puerto Vallarta are roads, urban transport, flooding, land tenure and land use. They are not new problems, some dating back at least 160 years since the city’s founding in 1851, when there was no urban plan for the mountainous topography of our destination.
Year after year, the streets were built parallel to the coast, causing serious consequences with which we still deal today.
Studies show that the population of Puerto Vallarta increased from 5000 to 8000 people (a 60% increase) in the early 50's. In 1960, during the filming of the movie “The Night of the Iguana” the airport runway, the Puerto Vallarta-Tepic highway and the first five star hotel was built.
Undoubtedly, all these events have led to enormous growth in the city, until it has become, little by little, the Puerto Vallarta we now know.
Today, with a population of between 250,000 and 300,000 people, it is essential that Puerto Vallarta have a General Urban Development Plan not only to counter specific urban problems, but also to address sustainability issues. It’s an action plan that is urgently needed for the benefit and continued growth of this tourist destination.
Jorge Chávez is Senior Editor at Mijo! Brands in Mexico.
Click here to read more about current trends.