2005 - Maximizing the Transportation System to Strengthen Tourism: A Case Study of Mexico City

Mexico City is one of the world’s great cities, and it has rich tourist possibilities. Although most
visitors to Mexico are attracted to the country's beach resorts, officials in Mexico and Mexico
City have recently begun to emphasize urban tourism. To maximize the potential economic
benefits of tourism, Mexico City must incorporate the needs of tourists into broader planning
efforts. One aspect of urban planning that is particularly relevant to tourism is transportation.
Within the context of city planning, transportation refers to both motorized modes, such as
buses, subways, private automobiles, and non-motorized modes, such as walking and bicycling.
The level of service, safety, and comfort afforded by various modes of transportation directly
affects the ease with which visitors may travel to and within the city's many tourist destinations.
This report, prepared by a Research Team from the University of Maryland, assesses how well
Mexico City's current transportation system meets the needs of tourists and makes
recommendations for improving transportation conditions to better serve the tourism market.
The recommendations are mainly focused on the transportation needs of non-Spanish speaking
tourists with limited financial resources, who want to experience the life and culture of the city
but expect comfort and predictability as part of their traveling experience.

Studio Team Members

• Deborah Albert
• Meghan Powell
• Catherine Brown
• Kurt Sommer
• Jill Locantore
• Megan Zadecky

Images/Documents

Final Studio Report4.pdf