Recognizing the Dynamics of Housing for the Working Population A Comprehensive Analysis of its Role and Intermittency in the City of Puebla, Mexico

This dissertation recognizes the role of often underestimated housing typologies within the dichotomic framework of formal and informal settlements. Focusing on the City of Puebla, Mexico, the research delves into the development of workers' housing spanning from 1920 to 2000. This was a post-revolutionary period in Mexico characterized by debates on national identity, modernization, and the construction of the built environment still latent in the 21st century. To examine the evolution of workers' housing, this study revisits housing settlements focusing on three distinct demographic segments: laborers in agricultural and industrial sectors, individuals engaged in popular occupations, and a subset of workers emerging from these demographics. This investigation establishes connections between existing settlements from the first half of the century—colonial, industrial, and agricultural—and the modern housing developments during the latter half. By analyzing the interaction between these housing settlements, the research reveals a range of housing types, including vecindades (shared houses), altered casonas (houses), factory-adjacent worker housing, housing in agricultural colonies, and housing within workers' neighborhoods, commonly referred to as viviendas populares. This study aims to foster a more inclusive understanding of Puebla’s growth during the 20th century through a threefold contribution. First, reviewing the historical dynamics facilitating the development of workers’ housing in Puebla and emphasizing the significance of community-driven efforts and housing production processes. Second, detecting marginalized housing typologies beyond the traditional formal/informal settlement dichotomy and demonstrating their cultural assets through qualitative studies. Last, extracting lessons from case studies that recognize the value of underestimated housing settlements, often labeled as popular settlements or popular housing.