Second lung to Mexico City, Xochimilco is the largest green reserve and possibly the most serene habitat in Mexico. Home to a vast variety of flora, fauna, and wildlife, Xochimilco houses a closeted utopic scene from the historic Aztec Empire. Throughout prehistory, this area of the city has been known for its unique agricultural system called chinampas or floating gardens. Chinampas were used for food production as well as floral cultivation during the Aztec reign. Xochimilco was an agro production center to the city center connected by the La Viga Canal during the Aztec period. To this day, Xochimilco is considered to be one of the biggest agricultural centers of Mexico City. 

Unfortunately, this beautiful habitat is currently under the danger of ongoing urbanization. Xochimilco is extremely susceptible to encroachment due to its location and topography. Located in the south of Mexico City, Xochimilco is one of the entry points of urbanization because of its prime location near both fertile soil and ample water. The lakes have dried up, the canals are stagnant and there is hardly any system for reconstructing these waters. South of Xochimilco are the mountain ranges that help serve as entryway into Mexico City. These mountain ranges are filled with favelas, which could also be termed as smaller cities within themselves. Xochimilco is governed under UNESCO heritage for the preservation of chinampas, agriculture and landscape. Due to urbanization, UNESCO is threatening to take away the preservation of this habitat. The organization argues that the preservation would only remain if urbanization ceases completely and they are reassured that these lands would only be used and touched by the local farmers, conservationists and anyone who helps in preserving these lands. The tourism industry of Mexico City prospers heavily because of the volume of tourists Xochimilco attracts. Xochimilco is one of the most influential and essential areas which helps keep the economy of Mexico City abundant. 

The design I present, intervenes with achieving the Utopic vision for the current scene of Xochimilco. It brings together a combination of farming, aqua culture and related communities in creating a mesh between the preserved heritage lands and urbanized areas (inside the buffer zone). Xochimilco is known for its Agro Culture which most of the occupations and industries are dependent on. The University of UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ) and other associations are undertaking an initiative in understanding the production cycle and systems for Xochimilco, thus bringing Urban Agriculture into the picture. Taking this initiative into consideration, new communities that this design influences will be developed with a mix of experimental and organic farming. These farms will be designed and developed on the Aztec culture of chinampas. These farms will be structured as rectangles with the help of juniper trees, which were used by the Aztecs to hold these farms in place over the water. Existing chinampas would be restructured into later future phases. At the same time, the existing canal system would be used in connecting the already present lakes in the development of expanded water bodies. These water bodies would be used for experimental aqua culture and the preservation of endangered aqua species. The communities will be designed for the locals as well as the growing urbanization in an incremental manner. These communities would be more oriented towards the agro industry and related occupations. The communities would be developed in various zones in combination with experimental and organic farming. These zones would be residential, market areas, educational centers for research and practice, transit hubs for better connectivity to the center of the city. Also, there will be a part designated to the real estate boost from where the financial support would be expected. The residential zone would be designed as high-density incremental housing units taking the ever-increasing urbanization into consideration. These communities would also have the floating structural units for residences, public spaces and platforms for research inspired from Aztec floating architecture. New schools, community centers, markets, public gathering spaces, waterfronts, cultural institutions and incubators would help in increasing the binding correlation between the communities. The real estate boost in the fashion of hotels to uplift the tourism as well as the development of high end residences would additionally help in sustaining the financial flow.

Thus, as a whole, an edge will be developed to preserve the serene lands of Xochimilco and stop the urbanization from continuing to encroach upon this habitat. Agriculture, flooding and cultural communities would help in creating a non-formalized perforated cultural human inhabited urban landscape in hands with nature to preserve this beautiful scenery. This would help in gaining a formalized, yet balanced, Urban Utopia.