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Another city working on plans to prevent destruction in the wake of natural disasters is Mexico City. Mexico City was one of the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative, which opened in 2013 and helped eighty cities around the world implement “comprehensive resilience strategies . . . projects that will make cities more livable, sustainable, and resilient.54 Michael Berkowitz, the president of 100 Resilient Cities, described the mission by saying, “It is about building better infrastructure, community cohesion, and taking advantage of the natural environment.”55

Mexico City has more than eight million residents, making it the twenty-third-most-populated city in the world. When I visited, I was amazed by the city’s energy, beauty, culture, and abundant humanity. Its architecture is also incredible, with centuries-old stones surrounded by mortar that has been reapplied over the years. The broad, tree-lined boulevards recall European ones, and it has a rich cultural scene. But while the city has a wealth of good qualities, it also has an Achilles heel: it is highly susceptible to natural disasters. Mexico City began as the city of Tenochtitlan, an artificial island built by the Aztecs who dumped soil into the center of Lake Texcoco. After, the Spaniards built Mexico City atop the ruins of Tenochtitlan. Today, Mexico City’s location—sitting on a massive landfilled lake—makes it a prime spot for earthquakes and floods. As you walk around the city, you can see the settling that has occurred at some of the its oldest structures, including government buildings, museums, and cathedrals—testament to past earthquakes and the minimal support the soft bed of Lake Texcoco provides for the city’s buildings. According to the 100 Resilient Cities project: