The author recounts numerous field trips to the Ajusco, a mountain range on the southern edge of the city. Then enabled me to develop close and lasting relations with many families and to follow the careers of local grassroots activists. At the same time, I observed the emergence, and in some cases, the demise of cooperatives, popular movements and government programs. It aims of creating an ecological village in the Ajusco were never realized, as the utopian vision was mismatched with the problems of daily life.
Fieldwork is balanced with academic research.
The author seemlessly integrates both micro and macro viewpoints. Besides the chapters on the Ajusco, Pezzoli provides one of the best overviews of contemporary Mexico City as well as an overview of the valley's environmental history. Both thoughtful and creative, this vision of political ecology offers readers a great deal of food for thought. Human Settlements and Planning for Ecological Sustainability is packed with maps, photos, a comprehensive index and references. If I have any complaints, it is that the book could certainly use a list of key players and a timeline in its appendix, but that's minor quibbling, given the amount of useful information this book delivers.