Mexico Citys Zócalo: A History of a Constructed Spatial Identity

This book presents a case study of one of Latin Americas most important and symbolic spaces, the Zَcalo in Mexico City, weaving together historic events and corresponding morphological changes in the urban environment. It poses questions about how the identity of a place emerges, how it evolves and, why does it change? Mexico Citys Zَcalo: A History of a Constructed Spatial Identity utilizes the history of a specific place, the Zَcalo (Plaza de la Constituciَn), to explain the emergence and evolution of Mexican identities over time.

Starting from the pre-Hispanic period to present day, the work illustrates how the Zَcalo reveals spatial manifestations as part of the larger socio-cultural zeitgeist. By focusing on the history of changes in spatial production - what Henri Lefebvre calls societys "secretions" - Bross traces how cultural, social, economic, and political forces shaped the Zَcalos spatial identity and, in turn, how the Zَcalo shaped and fostered new identities in return. It will be a fascinating read for architectural and urban historians investigating Latin America.