Project brief: To chronicle the bold, visionary plan to rejuvenate the environmental and social dynamics of Mexico City through the rescue of the dry Texcoco lake bed, just 10 kilometers away from the city’s historic center. With 50 boxes of archival documents, Blok’s challenge was to edit and coalesce the documents into a meaningful book that would create understanding and inspire change.

Approach: We designed the book to be accessible yet weighty enough to instill the reader with a sense of the importance of the project. The idea is based on looking at the book as though it were an X-ray of Mexico City, revealing all the layers that would be impacted by the plan. The information is laid out simply and clearly. In keeping with the project’s environmental goals, it is a completely green book printed on recyclable paper using vegetable inks. Blok also served as publisher, along with Editorial RM, and helped in fund-raising.

Effectiveness: The book’s launch generated articles in more than 15 major publications in one day, including four of the most important newspapers in Mexico, raising tremendous awareness for the project. Alberto Kalach, the world-renowned architect who is guiding the project, has been invited to speak about Texcoco at prominent museums and universities in Mexico City. The project has garnered the attention of the president of Mexico.

A rich, deep book that uses maps and information graphics to help explain the future of Mexico City. Urban planning never looked so good.