Ethel Rivera: Urban Planning Portfolio 2025

ETHEL RIVERA: PORTFOLIO

ETHEL RIVERA: PORTFOLIO

Pedestrian Passage

Replicating Resistance

Ecologies of the Machine

Seybaplaya Boardwalk

User’s manual for interpreting a spatial intervention

Montehermoso

Villahermosa

PEDESTRIAN PASSAGE: TLALPAN-COYOACÁN

Traversing class boundaries through transitory spaces

Type: Academic (4th year studio)

Date: May 2023

Professors: Juan Espinosa Cuock, Francisco Quiñones, Tania Tovar Torres

Collaborators: Nicolás Rangel, María Ruan

Location: Periférico, Mexico City

This project originated from a series of observations made upon discovering an underutilized office building located between Periférico-Coyoacán and Periférico-Tlalpan. The site is situated next to a geographically isolated depression, both physically and socially detached from its surroundings. It faces Periférico, which acts as a dividing barrier between two contrasting areas: Coyoacán, characterized by favorable housing conditions, and Tlalpan, which experiences higher rates of poverty, overcrowding, and gender-based violence.

Given the site’s location between these two areas and its proximity to the only connection between them— a pedestrian bridge inaccessible to individuals with disabilities or limited mobility—we determined that the site’s purpose should be to bridge these zones. This concept gave rise to the core intervention themes of our project: connectivity and accessibility.

women’s health clinics

admin. offices

workshops

multipurpose rooms

public daycare

ephemeral commerce

communal kitchen

neighborhood plaza

Through a catalog of observed moments over several days in the area, we concluded that the community inhabiting the depression seeks spaces for gathering, services, and commerce, often in temporary structures. Consequently, our program evolved into a hybrid of spaces designed with three objectives: to gather, exchange, and function. These objectives were hierarchized according to their public or private nature, reflecting the space’s inherently transitory quality, which becomes more privatized as it ascends. The final design organizes these elements into a ramp that connects Periférico with Tlalpan, dynamically opening, closing, and intertwining spaces based on their intended use.

REPLICATING RESISTANCE:

Landscape Revolutions

Type: Professional (Proyector)

Date: April 2023

Main researcher: Rosa Hanhausen

Location: Mexico City

Amid the global trend of commodifying food and natural resourc es, maize—the cornerstone of the Mexican diet—has become both the most significant agrarian product of the 21st centu ry and a key driver of the socio-spatial framework of national agro-production. Viewing the plantation as a mechanism of con trol and exploring its dichotomies—urban-rural, monoculture-poly culture, wild-domesticated—highlight strategies of land exploita tion and the ideological parameters of maize commodification.

Replicating Resistance examines agricultural systems, land ten ure modes, and socio-economic models rooted in Mexico’s his tory—such as the calpulli, hacienda, and ejido. These fragmented “patches” of the countryside collectively shape a significant part of the national geography, fostering cultural resistance against large-scale capital and its critiques of their viability.

Understanding maize as both sustenance and space underpins a critical reevaluation, reclaiming it as a habitable and sustainable future.

From native to lab-made kernels

multi-species forced labor

radical break of connection to place

the evolution of the Mexican countryside

feminization of labor

privatization of land

RESEARCH

Maize Production and the Spread of the Plantatiocene

Challenges of the Plantation

Hunger and food insecurity

Livelihood insecurity causing migration

Structures of inequality

Destruction of the social fabric of rural and small farmer communities Contribution (and vulnerability) to climate change

Degradation of human and ecological health

Legacies of the Plantation

Destruction of natural habitats and biodiversity loss

Sustainability of land (soil degradation, water pollution and scarcity) Struggle with land ownership rights ongoing feminization of roles

Structures of race and racism

increased labor precarity and loss of stability

Resistance

2. CURATORIAL SEQUENCE

3. EXHIBITION AND PUBLIC PROGRAM

The pages were organized into small packages, the exhibition. Visitors could select pages booklet, reflecting the diversity and individuality phenomenon, where each case and resistance

ECOLOGIES OF THE MACHINE:

Landscapes of Cement and Power

Type: Professional (Proyector)

Date: September 2023

Main researchers: Erika Loana and Kim Förster

Location: Mexico City

Concrete is the most widely used building material on Earth. Since its emergence in the 19th century and rise in the 20th, capital-driven forces have positioned cement as a transformative material shaping contemporary landscapes—natural and artificial. Its ecological impact extends beyond buildings, influencing resources, labor, economies, and environments over two centuries, from raw material extraction to urban construction.

Through the organization of research into thematic categories— labor, environment, and capital—all integral components of the complex model of cement in Mexico, this exhibition examines Mexico’s cement industry, tracing its role in reshaping landscapes and socio-technical systems. By analyzing historical narratives, it reveals hidden power dynamics and the overlooked environmental and cultural consequences of the industry.

Like the kiln that transforms raw materials into cement, the exhibition explores how resources, labor, and culture are reconfigured to produce capital and construction, framing cement as both an industry and an ideology.

CEMEX ACQUISITIONS

AND THEIR SOCIOPOLITICAL CONTEXT

We conducted a comprehensive historical analysis combining documents from Mexico’s Archivo General de la Nación with digital research methods. By examining the relationship between CEMEX’s purchases and history, we highlight the intricate connections between the cement industry, politics, and economics.

CEMEX

Cementos

leveraging the oil crisis, CEMEX implements a “market conquest strategy”

economic slowdown during Echeverría’s presidency occurs

Program to Promote the Cement Industry installed

CEMEX experiences a decline in sales adquisitions in Indonesia, Thailand, China, Egypt, Colombia, Philippines, the company intensifies its global market efforts

import substitution model is instituted

company’s single-pass kiln sets a technological benchmark.

policy of economic liberalization

challenging year for Mexican companies due to December crisis

projects like the Mayan train provide growth opportunities

large infrastructure projects drive new cement plants.

“By examining the historic use of discourse and narratives in the cement industry, the exhibition seeks to reveal the hidden history of such realities, evidencing how they have worked to maintain the power of individuals and groups, presenting the power dynamics underlying socio-technical regimes, while documenting the inevitable and overlooked alterations to the Mexican landscape”

Exhibition text, Proyector

SEYBAPLAYA BOARDWALK

Fostering Connectivity, Sustainability, and Community

Type: Professional (S-AR architecture firm)

Date: Fall 2023-Spring 2024

Location: Seybaplaya, Campeche, Mx.

Collaboration: I produced the research for the project by using geo-spatial tools and on-site observations. I aided in the design process, as well as produced sections, models, and other graphics (including the ones shown)

This project involves the expansion of the boardwalk in the small town of Seybaplaya, located in the state of Campeche, in southeastern Mexico. It arises from the needs expressed by the residents of the recently established municipality of Seybaplaya, and is driven by the Government of the State of Campeche. The primary objective is to improve the current conditions of the boardwalk, which extends approximately 1.7 kilometers along the coastline, in close proximity to the town’s main square and its most significant urban infrastructure. I gained firsthand experience with the bureaucratic processes involved in governmental projects, enriching my understanding of the complexities of public sector work.

main pier

pier park benches

shade spots

fishermen ports

crosswalks

docks

town park

As a native of southeastern Mexico, I recognized the critical importance of designing spaces that provide shade and respite from the region’s intense heat. To address this, we incorporated structures that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional, enhancing the usability of public spaces in extreme climatic conditions. Parking was also important to the project, given that the high temperatures of the site make it difficult to walk for long perids of time. These interventions were carefully integrated into the plan to ensure both practical utility and a positive user experience, fostering greater engagement with the urban environment.

PLANTAS GENERALES Y DIAGRAMAS DE FUNCIONAMIENTO

USER’S MANUAL FOR INTERPRETING A SPATIAL INTERVENTION

Feminist readings of space in Mexico City

Type: Academic (3rd year studio)

Date: 2022

Professors: Juan Carlos Tello, Tania Tovar Torres

Location: Mexico City

This project was inspired by the protest culture in Mexico City, where mothers searching for disappeared daughters, indigenous women advocating for their rights, pro-choice activists, and survivors of gen der-based violence redefined the urban landscape: graffiti on colonial monuments, art installations memorializing victims, and indigenous offerings honoring lives lost to violence. While local headlines labeled these acts as vandalism, I saw them as poignant expressions of resil ience and political resistance.

I mapped the monuments and urban spaces affected by feminist in terventions, documenting these ephemeral acts through photographs, drawings, and spatial analyses—many later erased by authorities. By cross-referencing spatial data with historical records on gender-based violence in Mexico, I uncovered the intentionality and symbolism be hind these actions, revealing their alignment with key moments in Mexican feminism and highlighting their role in collective urban cri tique.

The resulting manual provides a framework for analyzing communal spatial interventions, exploring how these acts reflect sociopolitical re alities and aiming to uncover often-overlooked narratives, emphasizing the human stories shaping urban environments.

Afromexican women

Creators

Indigenous women

Seekers

“Roundabout of Women who Fight”

#untilweareheard

Journalist women

Historic women

Disappeared women

Defenders

Acid attack victims

Women

1,800 displaced in Guerrero

Mothers of the 49 babies of ABC

feminicide victims

Family members of femicide victims and survivors

Mothers and seekers of disappeared women 1990s-now

Sisters, mothers and wives of political disappearances 70s and 80s.

Mothers of

and other organizations

An analysis is conducted of Reforma and the monuments intervened by the feminist movement. Four cases are selected based on their distinctive characteristics and the richness of the graffiti found on each, offering valuable insights into the diverse forms of urban intervention.

Old Hotel Reforma Benavides Pharmacies

Carl’s Jr. OXXO

Banorte

BBVA DHL Starbucks Santander

We identify the establishments that have been intervened and the types of businesses they represent, noting recurring themes among the affected spaces: large-scale commercial establishments, banks, and food chains. This reveals a connection between the movement and a critical stance toward capitalism.

By mapping the interventions on each monument over time and overlaying them with a timeline of femicide rates and media coverage, the data shows a direct correlation between the interventions’ number and intensity and the rise in femicides. For example, the first intervention on the Diana monument featured white balloons, while the most recent one uses a red hue, symbolizing the bloodshed of victims.

Interventions

MONTEHERMOSO

Designing an agroecological future for the Mexican suburbs

Type: Professional (a|911)

Date: Summer 2024-present

Location: Querétaro, Mexico

Collaboration: As the main contributor, I led data analysis, urban planning, and design integration, utilizing geospatial tools to guide housing, service allocations, and urban layout.

During the process I was guided by the firm’s leadership and aided by the mobility and landscape design teams.

The project involved the creation of an agroecological urban plan for a 370-hectare site in one of Mexico’s fastestgrowing cities. The project aimed to address a critical gap in service integration, as data analysis revealed that only a small percentage of new developments in the region had basic services within a 15-minute walkable radius. The team used data visualization tools, including scripts in Github and GIS with OpenStreetMap, to guide decisions about housing typologies, land use, and residential demand. Market research and collaboration with the Secretary of Wellness informed land allocations for education, culture, health, commerce, and public spaces. Geospatial data and site analysis, including drone footage and CAD tools, were employed to assess topographic challenges and minimize alterations while ensuring accessibility. The project successfully integrated quantitative data with qualitative insights to create a balanced, sustainable urban plan that responded to both the physical and socioeconomic needs of the community.

470

788

619

Difficult topography

Creating accessibility through transportation

Parcel structure

Bicycle and pedestrian lanes

Crevice running through the site

Open space network

Town center and educational districts Walkable districts

Urban buffer: vertical housing

Mixed program scheme

Open city systems

Sustainable infrastructure

UTÓPICA VILLAHERMOSA

Reimaging the city through the lens of resilience

Type: Academic (Bachelor’s thesis)

Date: May 2024

Professors: Gabriela Estrada, Juan Nuñez

Collaborators: Sofía del Río

Location: Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

This project emerged from a deep-seated desire to address longstanding questions that many of us in southern Mexico have pondered throughout our lives: Why are we not advancing? Why are our cities so unequal? How can we contribute to the southeastern region’s progress? To explore these issues, we studied the city of Villahermosa through the framework of the City Resilience Index (cityresilienceindex. org), meticulously uncovering the layers of strengths and vulnerabilities within the metropolis of Villahermosa. Through this investigation, we identified what we consider the city’s eight most pressing challenges and developed strategies to address them, ultimately consolidating these efforts into a comprehensive master plan. The master plan is not intended to serve as an inflexible roadmap for transforming the city within a single administrative term. Rather, it is a collection of actionable solutions designed to be implemented gradually, step by step, and in no specific order. The aspirational outcome is a city that embraces slow changes in order maximizes the well-being of its residents: supporting the local economy while leading not with extractivism, but with empathy and research.

Data obtained from:

In this project, I learned about using geospatial analysis as a tool in questioning the information provided to us by other sources. During the 2008 flood in Villahermosa, local sources reported an estimated 2,289 homes being damaged. However, considering that the overflowing water covered approximately 62% of the state at the time, this figure appeared to be significantly underestimated.

In the figure below, we simulated floodprone areas within Villahermosa and overlaid them with the city’s building data, revealing that at least 53,744 buildings were affected.

buildings at flood risk urban areas

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edificios en riesgo d

edificios en riesgo d

área urbana

edificios en riesgo d

área urbana

área urbana

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cuerpos de agua parques y camellone

parks and other green spaces

bodies of water urban voids

neighborhoods at highest flood risk

cuerpos de agua parques y camellone

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cuerpos de agua parques y camellone

vacíos urbanos

vacíos urbanos

colonias con mayor

vacíos urbanos

colonias con mayor

colonias con mayor

Tabasco Hoy

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vacíos urbanos

colonias con mayor impacto de inundación

Buildings at risk of flooding in Villahermosa

Prepared using data from: Risk Atlas of the Municipality of Centro 2015 and SCINCE 2020

1.Urban greenways

The proposed network of urban greenways, designed to encircle the city’s periphery and establish connections with its center, aims to facilitate the decentralization of Villahermosa. These corridors, integrating pedestrian pathways, bike lanes, shaded areas, and native vegetation, are envisioned not only to enhance infrastructure for physical activity but also to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

2. Floodable parks

It is proposed that flood-prone areas on the periphery be repurposed as recreational spaces, such as parks, plazas, sports courts, and outdoor auditoriums. This approach transforms currently underutilized land, unsuitable for traditional development due to its high-risk designation, into functional and productive spaces. These public infrastructures would also serve as buffers during flooding events, helping to contain overflows.

3. Neighborhood hubs

We propose community centers which will contain food networks such as mercados and economically accesible restaurants, women’s health clinics, and spaces of care infrastructure such as daycare services as well as homes for elderly care.

THANK YOU

neighborhood hubs

peripheral green corridor