Urbanization in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area 1900–2020: Urban Dynamics and Driving Factors.

This article examines the spatial patterns and socioeconomic drivers of urban growth in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) from 1990 to 2020. Using Landsat satellite imagery, the study quantifies urban expansion and land-cover changes, revealing a significant increase in urban land area accompanied by a loss of vegetated land. Socioeconomic analysis identifies the marginalization index and poverty percentage as significant predictors of urban growth, while population access to roads, despite its high correlation with growth, was not a strong predictor in the model. Cluster analysis distinguishes two urban growth zones: older, central municipalities with little horizontal expansion and peripheral, less densely populated municipalities experiencing significant dispersed growth linked to urban decentralization and socioeconomic inequalities. The findings highlight the complexity of urbanization in MCMA and underscore the importance of integrating socioeconomic variables for effective urban planning and resource management.