Architect and urban planner Alfonso Baños Francia, professor at the University Center of the Coast of the University of Guadalajara, says he recognizes the efforts of the authorities and residents for the recent public consultation for the update of the Partial Urban Development Plans for Puerto Vallarta, but warned the Municipal Urban Development Program and the Regulation of Management and Planning of the Territory that the effort was not well founded.
“How do we deal with a city that grows rapidly, that has a very accelerated rate of urbanization, that has faced significant problems and tensions in certain areas, and that therefore something has to be done?” he asked.
He considered the new plans and the process well-intentioned, but that said there are some points of consideration to review and improve.
“For example, the proposal is to update the partial plans of the 10 urban districts and 2 outside the municipal seat, but the Municipal Urban Development Program is not authorized,” he warned.
He indicated that this was put to consultation at the beginning of this year, but it was not submitted for approval in the plenary session of the council, so, he said, it is not correct to intend to make legal modifications and update the plans without the foundation of the program and the respective regulations that should first have been approved by the City Council.
“I think that the first thing that should have happened is to have exhausted the authorization process of the Municipal Program, and later have already updated the Partial Plans,” he said. “The second issue is that the regulations in proposed plan, are in relation to the Regulation of Management and Planning of the Territory, which has not yet been approved by the councilors in plenary session. So, they are proposing a series of legal modifications, which first had to have been authorized within the City Council.”
Professor Baños also warned that the technical language used in the consultation is not understood by residents, so the process was limited.