Changes in territorial policy

The path to a new regional organization of the country

Abstract

This document examines the evolution of territorial policy in Mexico over the course of a century, highlighting its historical stages, regulatory and institutional frameworks, and the contemporary challenges it faces in the context of social and regional inequality. Through the analysis of economic, social, and demographic indicators, it demonstrates how the neoliberal model consolidated persistent territorial disparities, while recent policies of the so-called Fourth Transformation have sought to reverse these trends through infrastructure projects, wage increases, and transfer programs. A decrease in the Gini coefficient and a reduction of more than five million people living in poverty between 2018 and 2022 are documented, although high levels of informal employment (54.9% in 2022) and marked gaps in access to basic services persist. The text underscores the need to coordinate the actions of the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU) and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) with state and municipal governments to move toward an inclusive and sustainable regional development model based on the principle of subsidiarity. It also argues that Claudia Sheinbaum's government represents a strategic opportunity to consolidate a new paradigm of territorial planning, capable of integrating social equity, environmental sustainability, and global competitiveness.