Sustainability is decisive for the future of Mexican cities, concludes a new book on conditions in the country’s urban areas. "We asked ourselves to what extent Mexican cities have the capacity to confront enormous challenges like sustainability, public services, the urban agenda," said Enrique Cabrero, the coordinator of the book, entitled "Ciudades mexicanas. Desafíos en concierto" (Mexican Cities: Concerted Challenges).

Presented on Jan. 24 and published by the state-run Fondo de Cultura Económica publishing house, the book addresses themes such as the environment, democratization processes, security and public services.

Almost 78 percent of Mexico’s more than 112 million inhabitants live in urban areas, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.

"A key question is whether cities can maintain the urban agenda, which has not been a priority," Cabrera, general director of the private Center for Economic Research and Teaching, told Tierramérica.