The complexity of managing (eco) archaeological tourist zones in cities. The case of Cuicuilco, Mexico.

Urban sprawl is one of the main treats to tourist heritage monuments. In Mexico, inoperative urban planning and the lack of intergovernmental work among agencies in charge of the protection of those sites has result in a continuous degradation. This article aims to understand the relationship between the archaeological heritage, tourism and urban expansion in Mexico City, taking as a case study the Cuicuilco Archaeological Park. Since it was discovered, in 1929, the site had been under different pressures, especially by the expansion of the city, which had being the most important. The second half of the twentieth century has been particularly severe in this regard. Urban sprawl in the south of the city as well as the installation of large companies in this part has changed the appearance and integrity of the site.