Naucalpan
Naucalpan, officially Naucalpan de Juárez, is one of 125 Municipalities of Mexico State, and is located just northwest of Mexico City. The municipal seat is the city of Naucalpan de Juárez, which extends into the neighboring municipality of Huixquilucan.
The name Naucalpan comes from Nahuatl and means "place of the four neighborhoods" or "four houses." Juárez was added to the official name in 1874 in honor of Benito Juárez. The history of the area begins with the Tlatilica who settled on the edges of the Hondo River between 1700 and 600 B.C.E., but it was the Mexica who gave it its current name when they dominated it from the 15th century until the Spanish conquest of the Mexica Empire. Naucalpan claims to be the area where Hernán Cortés rested on the "Noche Triste" as they fled Tenochtitlan in 1520, but this is disputed. It is the home of the Virgin of Los Remedios, a small image of the Virgin Mary which is strongly associated with the Conquest and is said to have been left here.
Today, the city of Naucalpan is actually larger than the municipality itself, with part of it extending into neighboring Huixquilucan Municipality, although there are other towns in within the municipality of Naucalpan which are outside the city of Naucalpan. It is a major center of industry in Mexico. It is, however, best known as the location of Ciudad Satélite, a development from the 1960s, the neighboring Lomas Verdes, and the site of the Toreo de Cuatro Caminos bullring, which was demolished in the 2010s to build the Toreo Parque Central mixed-use development. The only unurbanized areas of the municipality are the Los Remedios National Park and a number of ejidos, but the lack of housing has put serious pressure on these areas.
History
The Valley of Mexico, of which Naucalpan is a part, has been inhabited by humans for over 20,000 years. The history of Naucalpan begins with a group called the Tlatilca who settled on the edges of the Hondo River between 1700 and 600 BCE, in what is now modern Nacaulpan, Totolinga and Los Cuartos. During the Preclassic period a group of Olmecs arrived and had significant influence on the dominion of Tlatilca. Later, Tlatilca was also heavily influenced by the Teotihuacan civilization. Between 1000 and 1200 CE the Chichimecas conquered the Tlatlica and deposed their monarchy. The Pyramid del Conde was built during this time, located in what is now the El Conde neighborhood. Later in the pre-Hispanic period, the area was governed by Tlacopan and became ethnically dominated by the Otomi. Starting from 1428, the area was under the dominion of Tepanece de Atzcapotzalco, which was later conquered by the Aztec Triple Alliance, who gave it the name of Naucalpan.On 30 June 1520, Hernán Cortés fled Tenochtitlan toward what is now Naucalpan. According to legend, he wept under a Montezuma Cypress tree, which is believed by some to be located at the foot of the Otocampulco Mountain here. This is called the "Noche Triste" or "Night of Sorrows". There is dispute as to whether this tree is located here or in Popotla. Another legend states that during the flight of the Spanish, an image of the Virgin Mary was left under a maguey plant, where the Sanctuary of Los Remedios is today.
In 1521, the fall of Tenochtitlan brought the area under Spanish control. Hernán Cortés conceded governorship of this area to Isabel Moctezuma and Alonso de Grado, naming it San Bartholome Naucalpan. Evangelization of the native peoples was carried out by the Franciscans who built the monastery of San Gabriel de Tacuba and a number of historic churches such as the Church of San Francisco de Assisi, Church of the Inmaculada Concepcion and the Church of Los Remedios. In 1574, the Temple of San Bartolome Naucalpan was built, with the towers constructed later in 1629. The area was important in colonial times for the mining of building stone, sand and gravel which was used for many constructions in Mexico City including the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace.
In 1810, the Virgin of the Remedios was brought here from the Mexico City Cathedral, dressed as a general. She was proclaimed as a patroness of Spain and the "guardian of the Spanish Army." Locally, she was called a "gachupina". She eventually became the patroness of Naucalpan, with 450th anniversary of her finding celebrated in 1990. Her sanctuary was built in 1875.
In 1821, brothers Joaquin and Bernardo Miramín founded the newspaper "Diario Militar." One of the writers for this paper was José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, popularly known as "El Pensador Mexicano" .
The town remained a dependency of Tlalnepantla for much of the 19th century even though it had become an independent municipality in 1826. Industrialization began here with the founding of the Hilados and Tejidos de Rio Hondo factory, inaugurated by Benito Juarez in 1869. In 1899, the territory of Santa Cruz del Monte was added to the municipality. During the Mexican Revolution, Zapatista leaders Rafael Carrillo and Roman Diaz operated in the nearby Chimalpa mountains against federal forces.
The Toreo de Cuatro Caminos was inaugurated in 1947. It was the icon of the city for many years, as well as the symbol of Naucalpan's Metro station, Cuatro Caminos. The building was torn down in 2009 to make way for a commercial complex.
Naucalpan was officially declared a city in 1957, and the founding of Ciudad Satélite occurred in the same year. The project was completed in 1963. Its five signature towers were designed by Luis Barragán and Matias Goeritz. By 1975, Naucalpan had become one of the most industrialized cities in Mexico.
The city
The city of Naucalpan extends into neighboring Huixquilucan Municipality. At the 2010 census its total population was 913,681 inhabitants, with 792,211 of these in Naucalpan Municipality and 121,470 in Huixquilucan Municipality. Since cities, or localities, have no separate government, the two parts are governed from their respective municipalities. Within Naucalpan Municipality only the Los Remedios National Park and several ejidos remaining mostly unurbanized. Over 95% of the municipality's population lives in the city proper. The municipality consists of 119 neighborhoods in the city proper, 18 small villages, 71 residential developments and two rural housing developments. Because of the growth of its industry, Naucalpan is one of the most important municipalities in the country. Products manufactured here include foodstuffs, drinks, tobacco, clothing and textiles, wood products and paper, metals and chemicals. Industrial parks include Alce Blanco, Atoto, Industrial Naucalpan, La Perla and Tlatilco.The municipality is part of Greater Mexico City and in the Valley of Mexico, sharing the air quality and other environmental problems that are prevalent in this region. Naucalpan already participates in the "Hoy No Circula" program, which restricts the use of private automobiles in Mexico City and some adjoining areas during the week and is considering extending restrictions to Saturdays as well. Its subsoil is considered to be gravely polluted, mostly due to the Bordo Poniento landfill and the sinking of the subsoil due to the over pumping of groundwater and the dumping of untreated wastewater. In addition, many small businesses such as brick making operations, public restrooms and restaurants flagrantly violate sanitation and environmental laws. However, automobiles account for 70% of the air pollution. Stronger environmental regulations have been enacted and enforced, but this has led to the abandonment of the municipality by larger industries who have relocated to the north and west. Over 200 companies have relocated from here and neighboring municipalities Tlalnepantla and Ecatepec. Industries which have left Naucalpan include metals, cement, glass-works and others that use a large quantity of energy. About twenty percent of manufacturing facilities have closed their doors and six industrial parks are empty. In addition to environmental regulation, other actors behind this rising land and rental prices, economic slowdown and competition from Asia.
Several major roadways pass through the city and municipality, which connect the Mexico City area to parts north and west, as well as other parts of the metropolitan area. The northern section of the Anillo Periférico passes through Ciudad Satélite. There have been plans to add a second level to this roadway, but local residents have been working against it. One of the concerns is that the new roadway will damage the nearby Torres de Satélite. The recently built Viaducto Bicentenario highway, linking Mexico City with western Mexico State passes through Naucalpan and was the first section to begin operations. This section connects the Lomas Verdes section with Cuatro Caminos at the border of Mexico City. The construction of these roadways is projected to make changes in the urban landscape of the city, attracting projects such as office buildings and commercial centers. A number of projects are already in the works. The goal is to build areas here similar to Santa Fe and Interlomas. Naucalpan is strongly dependent on cars and other motorized transportation. Efforts have been made to promote bicycle use such as bike paths and free bicycle loans, but they have not been successful.
One of the best-known areas of Naucalpan is Ciudad Satélite with its signature Torres de Satélite sculpture. Ciudad Satélite was one of a number of large scale projects undertaken by the federal government in the Mexico City area in the 1950s and 1960s, along with the Conjunto Habitacional de Tlaltelolco and the Ciudad Universitaria. From the late 1940s to early 1950s, Mexico City began to grow towards the northern limits of the Federal District, and compelling urbanization into adjoining Mexico State. One of the projects conceived for the suburban zone of Naucalpan was a development called Ciudad Satélite. The project was headed by architect Luis Barragán in 1958 and financially backed the Banco Internacional Hipotecario. The city's design and coordination was supervised by architect Mario Pani. It was designed to be a suburban community with a "green corridor" connecting it to Mexico City proper. Attractive land prices created a boom market soon after the first units were sold in the mid 1960s, and over the next ten years, the green corridor disappeared. In addition to being a major bedroom community, it has been a major shopping district since the opening of the Centro Comercial Satélite in 1962.
The Torres de Satélite were constructed by architects Luis Barragan and Matias Goeritz with the collaboration of painter Jesús Reyes Ferreira in the mid 20th century. The five sculptures form prisms that range in height from. They are located in the traffic circle of one of the busiest roads in the State of Mexico. They were constructed to be symbols of the vanguard of world class design in Mexico and as a "welcome" of the expansion of Greater Mexico City to Naucalpan. The Torres de Satélite have been catalogued by UNESCO as architectural heritage.
The second best-known landmark in Naucalpan was recently demolished. The Toreo de Cuatro Caminos was built in the 1940s in what was a hacienda. Over the years, the city built up and the area around the bullring became a major local transportation hub. The northwest end of the Mexico City Metro Line 2 ends here, at a large bus station which is only a couple of blocks from the Toreo. At the Toreo itself, fifteen local bus routes as well as buses to Toluca and other points west converge here. These buses clog the surrounding streets of Ingenieros Militares, Rodolfo Gaona and San Mateo. The domed roof of this bullring was a symbol of the city for many years, but in 2009, the demolition of this building began to make way for a commercial complex. Most of the bus routes have been relocated for the demolition and reconstruction, and a bus terminal is being considered for the area. Despite the loss of the building, the symbol of Metro Cuatro Caminos will remain a depiction of the dome.
In addition to Ciudad Satélite and the Toreo, other attractions here include the Cerro Moctezuma, the Villa Alpina, the Conde y Tlatilco Pyramid, a Mexica shrine in the city center and the Museum of Naucalpan. Historic structures from the colonial period include the Caracoles, the Aqueduct, the Bridge of Santa Cruz, the arches of the Sanctuary of Los Remedos, the Parish of San Luis Tlatilco. In the city center is the Museum of the Tlatilca Culture. Arena Naucalpan is a major arena in Naucalpan, Estado de México. It's long been a home for lucha libre, and is currently the central arena of IWRG. The arena hosts a lucha libre show each Thursday and Sunday. The Naucalli Park occupies an area of forty three hectares and is a major natural area filled with trees and other vegetation. It also contains recreational and sporting facilities such as skating rinks, bike paths, playgrounds and the Casa de Cultura Naucalli. The Symphony Band of Naucalpan regularly plays here at its own concert hall.
The city hosts the campuses of a number of institutions of higher education. The Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades Plantel Naucalpan is a technical college associated with UNAM. It was opened in 1971 as part of the decentralization of UNAM's activities. Most of the majors are related to science and technology. Other educational institutions which have facilities in Naucalpan include the Universidad Nuevo Mundo; Universidad de Norteamérica, the Colegio en Alta Dirreción Empresarial, and the Universidad del Valle de Mexico. The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México has plans to build a campus here in 2010 as part of its expansion efforts.
On Pafununcio Padilla there are two five-story buildings which are locally called "Los Esqueletos" or The Skeletons. These are two buildings which have been abandoned for thirty five years when their owner died intestate during construction. Since then they have had problems with indigents and vandalism, causing fear in neighbors. By law, the buildings pass on to the owner's sons, but they have never done the paperwork to claim them.