Interdisciplinary dialogues focused on housing as the central theme, aimed at keeping relationships active between different sectors and, over time, fostering actions that drive the necessary changes.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14th
11:00 – 11:30 h. “Land and Housing”. Pablo Benlliure. Talk.
11:30 – 12:00 h. “Making affordable housing possible: Challenges, alternatives and proposals”. José Antonio Valdivia. Talk.
12:00 – 12:30 h. “Movility as a fundamental part of housing”. Mario Delgado, Iván Amador & Laura Ballesteros (moderator). Dialogue.
12:30 – 13:30 h. Q&A session with all speakers of the day. Ana López (moderator)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15th
11:00 – 11:30 h. “Recovery of abandoned housing”. Max Jaramillo, Andrés Ampudia & Mónica Cejudo (moderator). Dialogue.
11:30 – 12:00 h. “Living in feminine”. Patricia Mercado, Sara Topelson & Lucía Elizondo (moderator)
12:00 – 12:30 h. Q&A session with speakers. Isabel López (moderator)
12:30 – 13:30 h. “Water and ecology: The foundation of housing”. Elena Tudela. Conference
Pablo Tomás Benlliure, graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1989, where he also earned a Master’s degree in Urbanism.
He has held various high-level positions in the field of urban and territorial planning. He served as Director General of the Institute for Democratic Planning and Foresight of Mexico City, as well as Director General of Land Management at the Secretariat of Urban Development and Housing (SEDUVI) of the Mexico City Government. He also headed the General Directorate of Urban Facilities and Projects within the same agency, where he led, among others, the Los Poetas bridges project in Santa Fe.
Currently, he works as an independent consultant on urban, housing, and real estate projects, as well as real estate market analysis. In parallel, he has been a professor in the Graduate Program in Urbanism, specializing in Real Estate Development, at UNAM’s Faculty of Architecture since 2008, while also teaching in the Urbanism area at the same faculty.
José Antonio is currently the Director of CoRe Ciudades Vivibles y Amables, A.C. and holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO).
He previously served as Manager of Platform and Educational Resource Development at the Carlos Slim Foundation, as well as Director of Outreach and Dissemination at the Coordination of Polytechnic Universities.
He has also held positions as Director of Development Projects at CEIFG A.C. in indigenous communities in Oaxaca, International Affairs Advisor in the Senate of the Republic, and Coordinator of the Research and Statistical Analysis Center of the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals (AMPI).
An Industrial Designer from UdeG, he is the Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer of BKT Bici Pública, Mexico’s leading company in the design, implementation, and operation of public bicycle systems.
His first experience with bicycle systems came with the development of BIKLA®, a semi-automated, collaborative system in Guadalajara (2008–2012). From there, BKT Bici Pública went on to implement systems such as MiBici and Ecobici.
Today, BKT Bici Pública operates the two largest and most important public bicycle systems in Mexico—Guadalajara and Mexico City—both ranked among the top 5 in all of the Americas.
Christian, husband and father, mobility specialist, originally from Tampico. He currently lives and works in Mexico City. He earned his degree in Urban Planning from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where he was awarded the Ángel Borja Navarrete and Gustavo Baz Prada prizes.
With 18 years of experience in mobility projects across more than 29 Mexican states and several Latin American countries, he has led over 200 consultancies. These include advising governments, developing public transport systems, designing pedestrian spaces and safe intersections, implementing bike lanes, conducting traffic microsimulations, mobility and traffic impact studies, and optimizing, reducing, and rethinking parking.
He spent nine years at Cal y Mayor y Asociados, where he rose through different positions and gained technical expertise in traffic engineering, team coordination, and client management. In 2016, he launched the mobility division at the urbanism and architecture firm a|911, consolidating it in the market as a strong option for mobility studies and forming a new team of professionals with a focus on mobility, traffic engineering, and urban design.
Cristiano’s personal experience of growing up in different cities, using multiple mobility systems, and never owning a car shapes his perspective. Today, he moves around on foot, by public transport, by bike, and through app-based taxi services, always seeking multimodality.
Laura Ballesteros is a political scientist and expert in sustainability, mobility, public policy, and urban development with a focus on gender and children. A graduate of Tecnológico de Monterrey, she holds a Master’s degree from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a specialization in scaling public policies from Harvard University.
As a legislator, activist, and public official, she has driven key reforms in mobility, such as the Mexico City Mobility Law and the regulation of digital platforms.
She served as Undersecretary of Mobility (2015–2018), where she implemented the Vision Zero strategy for road safety. She was also Secretary of Sustainable Development in Monterrey (2021–2022) and a Senator of the Republic (2023–2024), promoting climate and peacebuilding agendas.
Currently, she is a Federal Deputy and Secretary of the Board of Directors. Her leadership has been recognized by GIZ, Forbes Mexico, and the Women Mobilize Women initiative, which included her among the 30 most inclusive women in sustainability and sustainable mobility.
Her work is distinguished by integrating innovative perspectives in urban policy, road safety, and equity, establishing her as a key voice in the transformation of cities toward more just and sustainable models.
Ana Montserratt López Trujillo is a sociologist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and holds a Master’s degree in Urban Development Projects from the Universidad Iberoamericana. With more than a decade of experience across the public, private, and social sectors, she specializes in participatory processes, urban regeneration, conflict mediation, and community integration.
Her professional career has focused on building bridges between real estate developers, local governments, neighbors, and communities, with an emphasis on conflict prevention and the mainstreaming of gender perspectives in urban development. As a consultant, she has designed and implemented urban impact mitigation plans, collaborative regeneration projects, and community integration schemes in complex urban contexts in Mexico City, Zacatecas, and Tijuana.
She is currently the Director of Mejor Ciudad, an organization that promotes affordable housing and the creation of a more equitable and sustainable Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico. Her work is distinguished by her ability to link technical expertise with social engagement, placing equity and mutual support at the center of urban transformation.
A scholar and activist from Guadalajara “de la Calzada para allá”, he holds a PhD in Sociology from El Colegio de México, a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Guadalajara (UdeG), and a Master’s in Social Sciences from the same university. He is a Professor-Researcher at UdeG and a member of Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNI-CONACYT) since 2021. His academic articles can be accessed via ResearchGate.
He is the author of the book “Pobres Porque Quieren: Mitos de la desigualdad y la meritocracia” (“Poor Because They Want To: Myths of Inequality and Meritocracy”), a Senior Atlantic Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute of the London School of Economics (LSE), and recipient of the National Journalism Award (2022) in the Opinion and Analysis category. He is also co-founder and director of the Institute for Studies on Inequality (INDESIG) and creator of the outreach project “Kittens Against Inequality” (2018). At the University of Guadalajara, he founded the Observatory on Inequalities, which he currently coordinates.
He has worked with Oxfam, Fundar, and in various government agencies such as EVALÚA CDMX and the IIEG in Jalisco. He has also consulted for international institutions including UNICEF Innocenti, the World Bank, ECLAC, ILO, the UN Human Rights Office, and CONEVAL, among others. Previously, he was a lecturer at El Colegio de México (2016–2021) and at the Autonomous University of Mexico City (UACM).
His research interests include perceptions of inequality and meritocracy, poverty and fiscal justice, and the measurement and analysis of these phenomena, as well as comparative social and tax policy. He is also deeply engaged in issues of racism, discrimination, and access to rights such as work, health, education, and housing.
A specialist in Social Housing Management Instruments and Public Policy, architect Andrés graduated from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO). He holds a Master’s in Advanced Architecture and is currently pursuing a PhD in Urban Management and Valuation at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.
With a consistent commitment to academic and professional development, Andrés has complemented his education with specialized diplomas. He has deepened his expertise in housing development and land management through courses at the Lincoln Land Institute, and broadened his knowledge in Public Policy through studies at the University of Guadalajara.
As co-founder of the renowned architectural and construction firm BANG Arquitectura, he has played key roles in the execution of innovative projects. His experience also extends to the public sector, where he served as Coordinator of Social Housing for SEDATU Jalisco and, from 2019 to 2024, as Director of Housing for the Municipality of Tlajomulco, Mexico.
Andrés and his team have been recognized with multiple awards, including the National Housing Award (2016) for the reconstruction project of the town of Chamela on the Jalisco coast, the National Housing Award (2022), the World Habitat Bronze Award (2023), and the State Housing Award (2023) for the successful implementation of the public policy “Renta tu Casa.”
His academic influence is reflected in his role as professor at prestigious institutions such as ITESO, ESARQ, and Tecnológico de Monterrey, where he teaches courses ranging from research methodologies and housing policy to urban research projects and architectural design.
His active participation in international congresses and forums—such as “Reclaiming Vacant Properties” in Chicago, “Repensar la metrópolis” in Mexico City, and “Alquiler en Latinoamérica” in São Paulo—demonstrates his interest and influence in the global field of architecture and urban management. His ability to bridge theory and practice positions him as a leading figure in his discipline, contributing significantly to innovation and progress in the field of social housing.
She is an architect, restorer, and researcher with more than three decades of academic experience at the Faculty of Architecture of UNAM, where she currently serves as Dean. She graduated with honors in her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies, and is a full-time Professor Titular C, member of the National System of Researchers (SNI), Level I, and recipient of the PRIDE Level D distinction.
She has trained more than 250 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, and since 2009 has promoted graduation through theoretical dissertations. At UNAM, she has held key positions such as Academic Secretary of the “Jorge González Reyna” Studio and Coordinator of the Support Unit for the Governing Board, where she designed regulatory frameworks for curricula.
Her academic leadership is reflected in her participation on evaluation committees, editorial boards, and juries for national and international awards. She has been a visiting professor at universities in the Americas and Europe, and has co-supervised dissertations in Spain.
A specialist in restoration, conservation, and New Spanish military architecture, she has published seven books, more than 30 book chapters, and numerous articles. Among her notable works are Ulúa, el fuerte que circunda el mar (2022) and Campeche imaginada (2024). She coordinated the damage assessment following the 2017 earthquakes and served as Conservator of the National Palace.
She has received multiple distinctions, including the National University Award in Architecture and Design (2021) and the Gabino Barreda Medal. She is an Emeritus Member of the National Academy of Architecture.
She is an economist from UNAM. In the 1990s, she participated in the creation of civil society organizations aimed at increasing women’s political participation. In 2001, she served as president of the México Posible party, and in 2006 she ran for the Presidency of the Republic with the Alternativa Socialdemócrata y Campesina party, earning 1.1 million votes.
In 2014, she entered public service as Secretary of Labor and Employment Promotion of Mexico City. A year and a half later, she was appointed Secretary of Government, a position she held for two and a half years. From 2018 to 2024, she served as a Senator of the Republic for Movimiento Ciudadano, where she chaired the Committee on Metropolitan Areas and Mobility and was secretary of the Committee on Labor and Social Welfare.
She is currently a Federal Deputy for Movimiento Ciudadano, serving as Chair of the Committee on Mobility and Secretary of the Committee on Labor and Social Welfare.
An architect graduated from UNAM, she is the founder of GRINBERG + TOPELSON Arquitectos, a firm through which she has developed projects in urban design, housing, culture, education, industry, and commerce. She taught at Universidad Anáhuac for nearly three decades (1972–2000) and served as President of the International Union of Architects between 1996 and 1999, becoming a key figure in the global field.
She has held high-impact positions in public institutions, including Director of Architecture and Artistic Heritage Conservation at INBAL (2001–2003) and Undersecretary of Urban Development and Land Management at SEDESOL (2007–2012). From the Center for Research and Documentation of Housing (CIDOC), she published for 18 years the study “Current State of Housing in Mexico.”
Recognized as Woman of the Year in 1996, she has been honored by architectural institutions in Canada, England, Australia, Japan, and Spain. In 1998, she was named Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture.
Her awards include the National Housing Award (2021), the National Architecture Award (2021) — becoming the first woman to receive it — the Lorenzo H. Zambrano Lifetime Achievement Award (2022), and the Bellas Artes Medal in Architecture (2024). She has also been distinguished with the “Federico E. Mariscal Extraordinary Chair” (FA UNAM, 2022) and an Honorary Doctorate from Universidad Anáhuac (2023).
Her most recent work is the Centro Cultural Mexiquense Anáhuac, inaugurated in 2019.
An architect from Tecnológico de Monterrey, she holds a Master’s in Design Studies from Harvard Graduate School of Design and a PhD in Humanistic Studies from Tecnológico de Monterrey, where her dissertation was awarded Outstanding Thesis.
She has been a professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey since 2002 and is a member of the institution’s Territorial and Urban Development Research Group.
Her research, focused on self-built housing and processes of housing appropriation, has been presented at academic forums in Mexico and abroad and published in prestigious international academic journals. She is a board member of Cómo Vamos NL and of the Sustainable Development Commission of Consejo Nuevo León. She received the National Housing Award in the Research category, granted by Mexico’s Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU).
An architect and industrial designer, she holds a Master’s degree in Processes and Graphic Expression and a PhD in City, Territory, and Sustainability from the University of Guadalajara. Her research has explored topics such as the history of design, art in public spaces, and the intersections of art and architecture.
She is currently a professor in the Department of Theories, Histories, and Architectural Projects and serves as Rector of the University Center for Art, Architecture, and Design, roles she complements with her professional practice.
She is the author of El arte y la ciudad: posibilidades del arte en el espacio público (2021) and Análisis de la arquitectura surrealista a través de la percepción de Las Pozas, Xilitla (2018).
Since 2022, she has been a Level I member of Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNI).
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from UNAM’s Faculty of Architecture, graduating with Diploma of Merit, and a Master of Architecture in Urban Design (2012) from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. She is currently a PhD candidate in Architecture at UNAM, focusing on resilient urban design. At UNAM, she is a professor at the Faculty of Architecture and a tutor in the Graduate Program in Sustainability Sciences.
She co-founded the Urban Resilience Office (ORU), a practice focused on urban design with an emphasis on water infrastructures, landscape, and public space. ORU was recognized with the 2023 Emerging Voices Award by the Architectural League of New York.
She has government experience as a public official in the General Directorate of Strategic Projects of SEDUVI and in the Public Space Authority of Mexico City, and currently serves as a government advisor to the Mexico City Resilience Council.
She was co-curator of the Mexico Pavilion at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale (2020–21), alongside Isadora Hastings and Mauricio Rocha. She was part of the National System of Art Creators of Fonca/Conaculta (2021–2023) and, in 2023, was inducted as a full academic member of the National Academy of Architecture, Valley of Mexico Chapter.
Her work lies at the intersection of applied research, consulting, teaching, and design practice, with a strong emphasis on sustainability, ecology, and urban resilience.
