Towards urban resilience-based management: the case of Mexico after the 2017 earthquakes

The September 2017 earthquakes in Mexico, which struck within a twelve-day span and affected regions with vastly different seismic, socioeconomic, and urban characteristics, revealed the multifactorial nature of seismic vulnerability and resilience in the country. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the damage on the built environment, emergency response, recovery and reconstruction efforts, regulatory evolution, and institutional reforms that followed these events. Key topics include the performance of self-built housing and essential infrastructure, the challenges of decentralized building codes and their uneven development and enforcement, the role of civil society, private sector and media in disaster response, and the implementation of the National Reconstruction Program. Advances in seismic code development—particularly the updated Complementary Technical Norms (CTNs) of Mexico City—and the creation of a dedicated standard for the evaluation and rehabilitation of existing buildings are also discussed. The proposed Construction Law for Mexico City, which aims to assign legal responsibility to stakeholders and formalize the regulatory framework, may serve as a legislative model for other regions. The paper concludes by highlighting the importance of coordination, technical rigor, equity and inclusion in recovery and reconstruction, and public engagement in advancing seismic resilience across diverse urban, semi-urban and rural contexts.