non-profit Isla Urbana. The community is situated within the forested, mountainous, southwestern edge of the city, where the groundwater quality is high due to a lack of concrete (fig. 3). The contradiction: communities with high quality groundwater have unreliable access to potable water from the government. The goal of rainwater harvesting via small scale filtration infrastructure in individual’s homes is for vulnerable populations to achieve water autonomy. Citywide underground pipe networks fail to provide adequate water supply to certain communities on the outskirts of the city. Achieving autonomy from this system, although imperfect, affords individuals the opportunity to manage their own potable water from the most democratic of sources: climate. Social waste systems Waste collection in the city is hardly an atmospheric or emotional experience for most people. I sat at the edge of a bench on the sidewalk, across from a small coffee shop, captivated by a garbage truck that was stopped at the corner. Five men hopped off the truck, and one of them started to walk up and down the block ringing a loud bell, alerting residents to bring their trash out to the curb. Meanwhile, three of the collectors shot off down the street in different directions, while the last one stood surrounded by bins of different sizes, manually organizing glass, paper, plastics, organic matter, and landfill trash. They were there for an hour, collecting, chatting with people along the block as they dropped off their trash. The truck ignition was off, people were moving, sorting, organizing, working together. Social behavior and highly detail-oriented attention to people and work created this atmosphere. Trees create spaces Across the city, there are maintenance practices that attract people, enliven public spaces, and allow for public maintenance as a form of experimentation. The medians and sidewalks of Mexico City are bundled with a rich diversity of trees and plantings, giving a feeling of being
159
fig. 4 (above) Section sketch of spontaneous tree growth espaliered across fencing fig. 5 (facing) Section sketch of a Magnolia tree, shaping the street with canopy and overpowering the sidewalk with root growth