TOURISM, LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND URBANARCHICTONIC RECONFIGURATION IN EL ORO, STATE OF MEXICO

Abstract

TOURISM, LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND URBAN-ARCHITECTURAL
RECONFIGURATION AT EL ORO, STATE OF MEXICO
ABSTRACT
The intentions of the local government of El Oro, State of Mexico, an old mining settlement
from the end of the 18th century, to boost touristic activity and local development in this area
with the support of the “Magical Towns” Program, have had both positive and negative results.
Although tourism promotion has been accompanied by territorial and socioeconomic changes,
such as urban-architectural remodeling and local production reconversion – elements analyzed in
this paper –, it is convenient to research the implications of such changes for the development in this region. In order to do this, three axes of analysis will be examined: the local historical
evolution, the particularities of the program reflected in the urban-architectural arrangements and
the recent economic and social transformations. Parting from these axes it was possible to
identify that the architectural development of El Oro, as a mining enclave, expresses the
extraction methods, the distribution forms and the social relations developed by this activity,
which decline had unfavorable economic and social effects on this region. On the other hand, the
analysis shows the positive aspects of the urban remodeling and the improvement in certain
social areas. Nonetheless and despite the productive change, it has not been possible to achieve
an economic reactivation accompanied by the necessary generation of employment.
Key words: Tourism, production reconversion, urban-architectural remodeling.