HIC’s Institutional Visit to Mexico: Alliances, Social Production of Habitat and Defence of the Right to the City

Guillermo Javier Marzioni – Vice-President of HIC

4 to 15 September 2025

• Full report here

From 4 to 15 September, HIC Vice-President Guillermo Javier Marzioni made an institutional visit to Mexico to strengthen ties with member organisations of the Coalition, learn about local experiences of social production of habitat, and participate in public and academic forums related to the Right to the City and the Right to Housing.

The tour included meetings with community leaders, academic institutions, housing cooperatives and organisations with a long history of work in Mexico City.

Objectives of the visit

The mission had three main purposes:

• To learn about the local reality and the activities carried out by HIC-AL in the region.
• To participate in spaces for debate and training related to the Right to the City, the Right to Housing and Social Production of Habitat.
• To strengthen coordination with member organisations and strategic institutional actors for HIC’s global agendas.

Main activities

Thursday 4 September – Meeting with HIC-AL

The visit began at HIC-AL headquarters, where Marzioni met with Silvia Emanuelli and the regional team to review the network’s work agenda and priorities.

Saturday, 6 September – ‘City in Motion’

Participation in the ‘City in Motion’ cycle, promoted by HIC, UNAM and the Mexico City Secretariat of Urban Development.

The day focused on youth and the right to housing, sharing initiatives and joint lines of action.

Sunday, 7 September – Casa y Ciudad and tour of Xochimilco

Visit to Casa y Ciudad, accompanied by architect Georgina Sandoval.

The tour of Xochimilco provided an opportunity to learn about experiences in environmental recovery, agroecological production, herbalism and community navigation through the canals.

8–10 September – Regional cooperation and activities at UNAM

During these days, meetings were held with:

• FUCVAM (Uruguayan Federation of Mutual Aid Housing Cooperatives), represented by Alexandro Sánchez.
• Two academic activities at UNAM, in coordination with HIC.
• Community Cooperation, focusing on ancestral construction techniques and community resilience.
• The Popular Urban Movement (MUP), with visits to cooperatives such as Casa Reciclada, Comunidad Originaria and Cielito.

These events provided an opportunity to learn about the history of the housing cooperative movement in Mexico and the new expectations generated under the government of Clara Brugada.

Thursday 11 September – Extended meeting with the MUP and FUCVAM

A meeting was held with more than 60 representatives of cooperatives at the Cooperativa Otomí.

This was followed by lunch with Enrique Ortiz, who shared previews of his upcoming book, and in the afternoon, attendance at the presentation of Personas no Plataformas (People Not Platforms) by Luke Yates at the UNAM.

Friday, 12 September – COPEVI and Utopías de Iztapalapa

Visit to COPEVI and tour of the Utopías de Iztapalapa, innovative municipal spaces that integrate culture, sport, neighbourhood memory and community services.

Final reflections

The visit allowed us to:

• Update our understanding of the Mexican context from a regional and international perspective.
• Identify common challenges and opportunities to advance the Right to the City and the Right to Housing.
• Strengthen alliances with organisations that promote social production of habitat and community self-management.

Thanks to the commitment of the host organisations and the wealth of shared experiences, this visit consolidates a path of cooperation and mutual learning to strengthen the agendas of spatial justice, community participation and the defence of the right to decent habitat.