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Fiesta On The Sandy Shores Of Mexico City

Posted by: Nate Berg
Thanks to: D.A. Varnado, AICP
6 April 2007 - 12:00pm

For those who can't get to the coast, tons of sand have been trucked into a park in Mexico City, where residents flock to spend a day at the "beach". But critics see the effort as a wasteful in a city where many residents still have no running water.

"It is the hottest time of year in Mexico City, and those who can afford it are fleeing to the coast. But while some are considering a snorkeling expedition over reefs in the turquoise Caribbean, and others are recovering from a night of excess at one of Acapulco's tacky beach discos, those left behind in the city can now also get sand in their hair."

"The capital's leftwing government is opening four "urban oases" around the city, modeled on the famous riverside beaches in Paris and Rome. The idea, says the mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, is to let the poor have some fun too. With the minimum daily wage under £2, there are plenty who cannot afford to travel any further."

Full Story: Urban beach lets city's poor enjoy taste of Acapulco
Source: The Guardian Unlimited, April 5, 2007
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“
The likely solution, it seems, is to reduce congestion and increase transit; achieving these two fronts will make the city better. Or at least that's the assumption. But really, it's the other way around.
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