Residential environment and urban habitability in Pandemic times: the case of Xalapa [Mexico]

Abstract

A large number of forums specializing in the area of architecture and urban planning have discussed the quality and habitability conditions of both housing and the immediate environment in the face of a call for confinement by the authorities. For the Mexican case #quédate at home, it is one of the main strategies to stay safe and avoid a possible contagion of SARS-CoV-2 better known as Covid-19 or Coronavirus, but the question that persists is to what extent does our immediate housing and urban environment have the conditions to stay in them for a long time?, in this article, we explain the results of a survey through which this question is explored. The results are revealing in relation to the assessment of the housing environment and housing in the context of the health emergency since it has become clear that there are a considerable number of deficiencies in the habitability of homes and their immediate environment and in terms of public space, security, social cohesion and even in the social coexistence itself inside and outside the dwellings. On the other hand, the similarities of the results obtained in various areas of the metropolitan region studied are noteworthy, which makes clear the widespread non-compliance with the right to the city and habitability in the homes.