In the first article, “Earthquake Kills Scores in Mexico,” we find some background on how Mexico city was destroyed by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake. The tragedy made the first page of the New York Times on September 20, a day after the disaster happened. According to the article, more than 40 buildings collapsed throughout the city. Many people were trapped under the rubble of the fallen buildings. Mexico was first built on top of a lake. This makes for a slightly different urban structure than we are used to. The soft soil has made it difficult for city planners and geographers create a solid urban structure that can withstand natural disasters like this earthquake. Although a city built on a lake isn’t ideal, that is not necessarily the reason
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Since their last major earthquake in 1985, the city has taken action to have some of the highest ranked building codes in the world. These codes may have saved many lives, however, they are not being enforced to the extent that they should be. Most new buildings that are inspected for building codes, do not hold up to the city’s standards. This issue is mostly due to building inspectors, who are overworked and not performing their jobs well. Mexico City requires that schools and most buildings be inspected before and after an earthquake has occurred, but these inspections are either not thorough or do not happen at all. Most of the time everything checks out on the builder’s paperwork, but random inspections around the city have shown various code violations. In 2016, a study was conducted to see if the buildings that were recently built with Mexico City were complying with the new building codes. 150 random buildings were inspected and most of them failed to meet the city’s standards. Many business owners and homeowners are taking legal action, claiming that their homes and buildings were not well inspected. The recent earthquake has brought to light Mexico City’s building code issues, and city officials are working towards a solution to prepare for future natural
Since their last major earthquake in 1985, the city has taken action to have some of the highest ranked building codes in the world. These codes may have saved many lives, however, they are not being enforced to the extent that they should be. Most new buildings that are inspected for building codes, do not hold up to the city’s standards. This issue is mostly due to building inspectors, who are overworked and not performing their jobs well. Mexico City requires that schools and most buildings be inspected before and after an earthquake has occurred, but these inspections are either not thorough or do not happen at all. Most of the time everything checks out on the builder’s paperwork, but random inspections around the city have shown various code violations. In 2016, a study was conducted to see if the buildings that were recently built with Mexico City were complying with the new building codes. 150 random buildings were inspected and most of them failed to meet the city’s standards. Many business owners and homeowners are taking legal action, claiming that their homes and buildings were not well inspected. The recent earthquake has brought to light Mexico City’s building code issues, and city officials are working towards a solution to prepare for future natural