Mexico City Congress Advances in Regulations: Law vs. Spectaculars and Debate over "Dark Stores"

The full Mexico City Congress has taken a significant step in its quest to reorganize the capital's visual environment with the approval of the new Outdoor Advertising Law. This legislation's main objective is to drastically reduce visual pollution by removing thousands of billboards, with particular emphasis on those installed on rooftops. The law requires companies that own these advertisements to remove them within a maximum of one year after its entry into force.

The initiative, promoted by the Government Headquarters, contemplates severe economic sanctions for those who fail to comply with these provisions, with fines that could reach up to 1.5 million pesos. According to statements by Representative Víctor Hugo Lobo Román (PRD), "the legal instrument to have a metropolis free of visual pollution, prioritizing order, legality, and the protection of the integrity of the people" is being approved. The plenary approval was granted with 48 votes in favor, zero against, and nine abstentions, indicating a broad, though not unanimous, consensus on the need for this measure.

While the Outdoor Advertising Law is already a reality, another issue that has dominated the legislative agenda and public debate is the regulation of so-called "dark stores." These establishments, dedicated exclusively to the preparation and shipping of orders for e-commerce and home delivery platforms, have rapidly proliferated in the city, generating concern among residents and urban planners about their impact on land use, the increase in delivery traffic, and the potential impact on traditional neighborhood commerce. Although no specific final approval of a law on "dark stores" has been reported today, this issue is part of the broader framework of discussions on territorial planning and urban development being promoted in Congress.

These legislative initiatives not only transform the face of the city but also reflect and reconfigure political dynamics. The new Outdoor Advertising Law, for example, centralizes the issuance of licenses for high-impact advertisements in the hands of the central government, while mayors' offices will retain the power to authorize lower-impact advertisements on secondary roads. This redistribution of powers could be a turning point in the balance of power between the different levels of government in the capital and, potentially, a source of future tensions.

The discussion surrounding these issues highlights a deeper battle over the city model we seek to build. On the one hand, there is pressure to facilitate economic development, e-commerce, and logistical efficiency; on the other, there is growing citizen demand for a better quality of life, preservation of the urban landscape, safety, and social cohesion in neighborhoods. The regulation of phenomena such as "dark stores" also highlights how the urban regulatory framework is often overwhelmed by the speed of technological transformations and new business models, forcing legislators to act reactively to mitigate unforeseen impacts and balance the various interests at stake.

Both the business sector affected by the Outdoor Advertising Law and the operators of dark stores and e-commerce platforms are expected to closely monitor these processes, seeking to influence secondary regulations and, in some cases, exploring legal avenues if they feel their interests are affected. Meanwhile, neighborhood organizations and urban activists will likely celebrate the progress made in reducing visual pollution and continue to push for stricter regulation of activities they consider detrimental to neighborhood life.