Pachuca unveils updated 2026 Risk Atlas for urban planning

The city of Pachuca has presented its updated 2026 Risk Atlas, a tool designed to improve urban planning, territorial management, and disaster prevention. Developed by the Municipal Institute of Research and Planning (IMIP) and the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Risk Management, the document was created through inter-institutional collaboration involving academics, business chambers, the Mexican Geological Service, and various universities.

The new Atlas expands the traditional definition of risk by incorporating urban environment and public health factors. Key innovations include the analysis of urban heat islands—areas where urbanization and loss of vegetation increase temperatures—and the study of obesogenic environments, which examines how city design may limit physical activity and impact population health.

Mayor Jorge Reyes stated that the Atlas serves as more than just a map, acting as a decision-making tool to ensure orderly city growth and better-informed public policy.