Decarbonizing Vallejo-i
A metabolic approach to the decarbonization of Mexico City’s industrial sector
2024
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Research team
- Roi Salgueiro Barrio, principal investigator
- Afreen Siddiqi, research scientist
- Daniel Daou, liaison with UNAM
- Eran Ben Joseph, DUSP Studio
- Mary Ann Ocampo, DUSP Studio
Production
- David Pankhurst, research associate/video production
- Inge Geraldine Donovan, research associate/video production
- Hai Yi (Blue) Chan, physical model
Students
- Mary Foxen, student
- Katie Kempf, student
- Lukas Hanson, UROP
- Dea Myshketa, student
- Kara Hines, UROP
Decarbonizing Vallejo-i establishes design measures to fully decarbonize the Vallejo industrial area in Mexico City. By linking industrial transition to energy transition, the project demonstrates how to internalize the metabolic flows of energy, water, and waste that connect Vallejo to the Mexico City region. The design bases decarbonization on the principle of connected self-sufficiency: generating as much energy as possible locally, using the network only to release energy surpluses or meet specific needs.
Established by national decree in the 1940s, Vallejo was responsible for five percent of Mexico's GDP at its peak. The neighboring dry port of Pantaco, the largest infrastructure of its kind in Latin America, facilitates its continental-scale logistical connections. While Vallejo still hosts 1,000 companies across 17 industrial sectors and provides 45,000 jobs, the area has lost its former economic power. The municipal initiative to rebrand it as Vallejo-i seeks to revitalize the area, transforming it into an "Industry 4.0" hub. Yet, the planned changes in its urban and economic model are not accompanied by an energy transition strategy.
The project uses metabolic analysis to understand the links between Vallejo and the Mexico City region and to quantify current energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, and future energy demand. The analysis helps identify alternative methods of energy generation, water capture, and waste management that build on the proposed complementarity of heavy industry, light industry, and housing. The design proposes a replicable strategy, piloting one Vallejo block to introduce solar generation, waste-to-energy cycles, and rainwater harvesting. These measures are paired with block redesign to increase porosity, infiltration, green space, and sustainable transportation infrastructure.