Key Takeaways
From the forum

"I would tell them not to become so technical, always have people on their teams who have a much more human outlook, because that is what we are and cities are inhabited by humans and I insist that houses do not become spaces only for accommodation, otherwise they become spaces that we can build around ourselves and that help us organize our lives." 

"The territories really are operating systems, the limits that we set administratively from one municipality to another, from one state to another, from one country to another do not really exist, they are social agreements. That construction of rules that allows us to live together is what makes us urban planners that tells us that today we are going to agree and we have to comply" 

"You talk a lot about breaking the rules. I think I talk more about working within those rules in a smart way, a way in which you can take advantage of them. Always look at the regulations and rules in a way that allows you to do things well within those guidelines." 

"You can't build a city without authority. Without politics, politicians, and regulations, there is no development. Urban planning shouldn't be based on the political agenda.”

"We are in a country where almost 60% of housing construction is not done through developers. We need to understand that we have a significant qualitative housing deficit and that we are not developing financial models to address and understand it."

ABout CIUDADES PARALELAS/ PARALLEL CITIES

A Binational Conversation with a Shared Vision: Ciudades Paralelas / Parallel Cities was born as a platform for dialogue and exchange between two contexts that—despite their political and cultural differences—face common urban challenges, last year this forum (CPPC) brought together urban leaders from Mexico and the United States where specialists discussed strategies to address the housing crisis through improvements in land use, regulation, financing mechanisms, and public-private partnerships. Also explored the theme of just and sustainable cities, highlighting the role of community transformation, interinstitutional partnerships, sustainability, and equitable access to services and civic participation. 

This year, on April 10 Somos Group—a multidisciplinary team of experts that creates effective solutions to build and sustain urban resilience—organized the Ciudades Paralelas / Parallel Cities 2026 forum under the theme "The City We Inhabit: Housing and Community", reflecting on housing and its potential as a starting point for community building and a sense of belonging, this forum brought together leaders in urban development, housing, design, and academia to collectively reflect on the shared challenges faced by cities in both nations.

The event took place at the University of California's Casa in Mexico City and opened with a keynote lecture "The USMCA at a Crossroads in the Mexico-US Bilateral Relationship" by Pía Taracena an expert in the domestic and foreign policy of Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

SOMOS and the Tecnológico de Monterrey have formalized a new collaboration agreement to promote research and the development of innovative housing models in Mexico. The School of Architecture, Art and Design at Tecnológico de Monterrey contributes expertise in research and design under the leadership of Alfredo Hidalgo. C+LAB, represented by María Guadalupe Morales Ramírez, advances evidence-based strategies to build more inclusive and sustainable cities.