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Universal Accessibility in Urban Design: Challenges and Solutions in Mexico

A simple person on wheels, passing on a bench with a podotactiri floor in an urban environment.

The concept ofuniversal accessibility It is a structural condition of contemporary urban design, mentioned by the United Nations through theConvention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) andAgenda 2030, which establishes how cities must guarantee equal conditions in mobility, habitability and the use of public space. In Mexico, the General Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and NOM-034-SCFI-2013 constitute legal frameworks that should guide territorial planning, although their application remains partial and in many cases ambiguous.

The deficit is evident even in universities that train architects, operating in buildings without ramps, absent tactile signage or accessible bathrooms. This contradiction is already a popular culture that continues to understand accessibility as a minor requirement instead of recognizing it as an essential component of urban management and resilient infrastructure.

 


Deterioration of infrastructure and institutional vacuum


One of the main problems of theuniversal accessibility In Mexico it lies in the deterioration of basic infrastructure. The sidewalks lack adequate dimensions, are constantly interrupted by registers, irregular edges or unevenness, and in many cases the texture of their pavements is so damaged that it limits pedestrian flow. Added to this is the lack of a health culture: the occupation of the space by waste or animals makes even the section that had been rehabilitated impassable.


The budget issue is another determining factor. According to data published byThe Economist, spending on road infrastructure has fallen by more than 75% in recent years. The immediate consequence has been the absence of renewal of pavements, sidewalks and pedestrian spaces; reduction of spending that compromises urban mobility and social cohesion.


The lack of professionalization in the municipalities aggravates the problem, since many responsible for urban planning are elected officials of Morena without sufficient technical preparation, which produces projects lacking elementary architectural criteria. In local governments, improvisation prevails, the absence of adequate topographical surveys and the issuance of zoning cards without rigor, which translates into streets that exclude users with disabilities and public buildings that do not comply with basic parameters.

In the business sphere, the situation does not improve either, since there are construction companies who consider that integrating accesses with reduced slope, tactile signage or adapted bathrooms is an extra cost, showing a disconcerting vision that does not clarify an investment that increases the value of the properties and ensures a longer useful life of the construction.


Public transportation confirms the lag when it eliminated the Comprehensive Transportation Program in Mexico City, since it deepened a setback in terms of urban mobility. Although it was proposed to privilege pedestrians, in practice the metro and Metrobús stations still lack sufficient access, the elevators are out of service and the general deterioration of the system limits the habitability of the city for older adults and people with disabilities.

 


International guidelines and need for regulatory updating


Theuniversal accessibility It is not a passing fad; It is a human right that requires comprehensive planning. Organizations such as UN-Habitat insist on the need for compact, resilient cities with green infrastructure that guarantees long-term habitability. The updating of Mexican regulations is urgent and it is essential to homologate NOM-034 with the United Nations guidelines with the parameters of theISO 21542:2021 on accessibility in the built environment, which establishes global standards on ramps, curbs, signage and circulation dimensions.


At the local level, it is necessary to return to professional career service, to strengthen urban development bodies, incorporate urban planners and architects with specialized training and provide them with real regulatory powers, and stop subjecting accessibility to spontaneous or short-term political decisions.

 


Applied experiences in architectural projects


Theuniversal accessibility It cannot remain in normative discourse but rather be reflected in concrete projects. I had the opportunity to work in 2007 at the complexOmnicenter of Grupo EBOR in Juriquilla, Querétaro, developing two commercial design spaces: a Pastry Shop and a Chocolate Shop.


Architectural plan of pastry shop with universal accessibility criteria with sections elevations and quantification of doors

In theChocolate shop, conceived as a retail space of artisanal and local production, with a curved design that reinforced the spatial composition, materials such as glass, aluminum and polished marble were used. Obstacle-free routes and furniture with its own lighting were integrated to facilitate visual reading of the products. Accessibility was resolved on the pavement with a tactile system that oriented the visually impaired user and with low-slope accesses that allowed a continuous flow.


Chocolate shop designed by architect Manuel Eliu with contrasting colors and universal accessibility criteria with large print signage.

In theBakery, the main access was resolved with a ramp with a slope of less than five percent, adjusted to international parameters, adding signage in large typography, wide routes that avoided friction points and spaces reserved for wheelchair users. The staircase to the upper floor was designed with double-height landings and railings for older adults, a habitability criterion that advanced the current discussion on population aging. The project included proposals for cross ventilation, waste separation and air purifiers, combining universal accessibility with environmental sustainability.


Image of the access façade of a pastry shop with a ramp for the disabled in front of the main door.

Although the premises were not fully realized, the experience allowed me to test criteria that I later integrated into larger scale projects, such as residential complexes and urban design proposals. Universal accessibility has become an inseparable component of my work, an indispensable parameter to guarantee habitability and quality of life in contemporary architecture.

 

Zoning sketches and universal accessibility criteria of a ground floor and upper floor of a chocolate shop by architect Manuel Elihú

Final considerations on universal accessibility


Mexico has the opportunity to align its urban development with international parameters of universal accessibility. To achieve this, it is essential to update the regulations, allocate adequate budgets, professionalize municipal officials and overcome the business perception that accessible projects are expensive.


In the coming decades, population aging will force the city to respond with ramps, clear signage, adapted bathrooms, accessible transportation and inclusive public space, with universal accessibility being an ethical commitment that we must address as architects, urban planners and developers.


In my professional practice I have accompanied architectural and urban projects applying these criteria, and I offermentoring for architecture studentsor recently graduated architects and direct advice toclients with disabilitieswho require homes or commercial spaces truly designed for their needs. Architecture must respond to the user, not to statistics or political speeches, since it is the way to recover the dignity of our cities and guarantee that urban habitability is a right for everyone.

 

Infographic with images of personalized architectural consultancies with renderings and architectural plans by architect Manuel Elihú

Recommended sites:


·         Government of Mexico,NOM-034-STPS-2016, safety conditions for access and development of activities of workers with disabilities in workplaces.https://www.gob.mx/capacidadesyempleo/documentos/norma-oficial-mexicana-nom-034-stps-2016-conditions-de-security-para-el-acceso-y-desarrollo-de-activityes-de-trabajadores-con-discapacidad-en-los-centros-de-trabajo-169519Accessed October 1, 2025

·         Secretariat of Urban Development and Housing (SEDUVI),Manual of technical accessibility standards of Mexico City.https://www.ecsimx.com/documentos/avisos/SEDUVI-NORMAS-TECNICAS-DE-ACCESIBILIDAD-28062024.pdfAccessed October 1, 2025

·         Reform,48% falls with AMLO highway investment.https://www.reforma.com/se-cae-48-con-amlo-inversion-carretera/ar2874071  Accessed October 1, 2025

·         INIFED,Regulations and research 2021. Volume 3, Volume II: Accessibility.https://www.inifed.gob.mx/doc/pdf/2022/normatividad/VOLUMEN_3_TOMO_II_Accesibilidad.pdfAccessed October 1, 2025

·         Basic education service unit in the state of Querétaro.Accessibility plan for physical spaces for everyone. 2024.https://www.usebeq.edu.mx/Content/intranet/PILND/Plan%20de%20Accesibilidad%202024.pdfAccessed October 1, 2025

 
 
 

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