Urban sea(m): Repairing the coastal edge of Veracruz

Abstract

This project analyzes the waterfront of Veracruz, the first European-founded settlement in the continental Americas. Its geographic location by the water and proximity to the geopolitical center of Mexico have long defined the formation, growth, and importance of this territory. Throughout its history, living by the water has acquired different meanings: an entry point for power dispute, overseas commercial exchange, a destination for tourism, and a cultural reference point. Today, the main urban center is subject to two important pressures. The coastal edge is threatened by erosive phenomena and sea level rise, with the waterfront slowly decreasing in size. Opposingly, the speculative need for urban expansion is promoting infill of the sea and depletion of other natural systems. By blurring the existing edges, “Urban Sea(m)” addresses the complexity of a transitional seafront and redefines life by the water for post-anthropocentric coastal cities in the face of climate change.