This chapter focuses on Mexico City, one oof the largest and most diverse cities in the world. It faces a multitude of challenges typical of megacities, from urban inequality to mistrust in politics, it grapples with complex issues that demand innovative solutions. In response to these challenges, the Laboratorio para la Ciudad (Laboratory for the City) emerged as a pioneering initiative in urban governance and innovation.
Laboratorio para la Ciudad, founded in 2013 under the leadership of Gabriella Gomez-Mont, represents a new approach to urban governance, one that does embrace experimentation, collaboration, and citizen participation. It is situated within the Mexico City government but staffed by individuals from diverse backgrounds, the Lab serves as a platform for tackling urban problems through creative and participatory means.
The Lab also offers the opportunity for the city to become a “mega-urban lab”. Overall, it seems that the local government performs a true “enabling role” by endorsing the creation of the Lab, it has built a bridge between civil society and the upper spheres oof government and a space where a variety of actors can collaborate in the design and implementation of innovative public policies. As a result, the enabling state variable can be evaluated as strong.
Within the Lab it is revealed that there is a presence of autonomous institutions, managed or owned by local communities, operating within non-mainstream economic systems, such as collaborative, cooperative, circular economies, for creation of new opportunities and services. The Laboratory aims at fostering social cohesion, resilience, and sustainability, encouraging citizens’ political participation, which are typical purposes of pooling economies.
Laboratorio para la Ciudad has been involved in initiatives related to the “sharing economy”, which can be regarded as the step preceding pooling economy. One example of this is one of the previous pillars of the Lab’s agenda, Ciudad Compartida (Shared City). It promoted the development of a sharing city where knowledge, goods, services, and funds are shared throughout the city. An experiment moving from the question “how the sharing economy can a city’s mobility?” was also carried out.
Furthermore, the Lab on co production, meaning it produces/improves public policies and services through the collaboration among several actors. For instance, the experiment “Nochebus” relaunched the night public transport sector by introducing fixed timetables for each stop and promoting a communication campaign to stimulate the use of such services. The results were achieved through the collaboration between the Lab and, among others, the Mobility Department, the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, and the urban advertising company IMU.
Nevertheless, if by pooling social and economic resources one means “the presence of different forms of resources pooling and cooperation between five possible actors in the urban environment”, it’s possible to detect some elements of poolism. Indeed, it is evident that all the actors involved in the Lab’s initiatives provide their contribution. Therefore, it could be appropriate to claim that there is a pool of resources in the sense that the Lab enables the creation of a pool of ideas that will then be realized through a pool of economic resources.
There is a presence of a site-specific and iterative bottom-up approach to design legal and policy innovations for the co-governance of the local urban commons. The very aim of the Lab is to carry out policy innovation through urban experiments related to a wide range of topics, from water management to the possible role of drawers in the decision-making process (Disegno para la Ciudad).
The Laboratorio took inspiration from other Labs worldwide like the New Urban Mechanics in Boston, with which it collaborated to launch the first edition of its first project, the Código para la Ciudad. However, it aims at addressing local issues by focusing on Mexico City’s specificity. By trying and iterating, the Lab can detect which is the most appropriate path the government has to follow in tackling a certain issue.
Furthermore, the Lab’s commitment to open access to technology and digital infrastructure plays a crucial role in promoting social justice. Projects like Mejora Tu Barrio CDMX and the Open Government Platform enable marginalized communities to access information and participate in decision-making processes. By providing internet access and support for citizens ho lack digital skills, the Lab ensures that everyone can contribute to shaping the future of their city.
In the evaluation of the Lab’s performance against key principles such as poolism, experimentalism, tech justice, urban collective Governance, and Enabling state, it is evident that while there are areas for improvement, the Lab has made significant strides in promoting innovation and social justice.
Its emphasis on experimentation and iterative approaches allows it to learn from successes and failures, refining its strategies over time. Moreover, its collaboration with diverse stakeholders reflects a commitment to inclusivity and co-creation, essential elements of effective urban governance. Through its innovative projects, collaborative approach, and commitment to social justice, the Lab serves as a model for other cities seeking to address complex urban challenges.