Atlas de Monterrey

THERE CAN BE few cities in both the North and the South for which there is such a comprehensive and well-presented book as this one describing Monterrey, Mexico’s second largest city. This volume includes nine sections, each with several chapters by leading specialists. The first three cover the city’s geography, ecology and climate, its history from its origins in 1577 and its development during the 20th century. The next three describe the process of metropolitanization and the socio-demographic dynamics, the range and quality of infrastructure and public services and the spatial structure of the metropolis. The final three describe the structure of the government, planning and programming for its implementation and Monterrey “towards the year 2020”. The text includes dozens of colour photographs, maps, diagrams and tables. Perhaps this volume’s only competition is an equally large, comprehensive and well-produced Atlas of Mexico City published in 1987 which Gustavo Garza also compiled. Some copies of the Atlas de Monterrey are available at a cost of US$ 100 each.