Doctor Jan Bazant Y Sánchez is an Architect who graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (1967), earned a Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1975), and obtained a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), with Honors (1999). He also completed specialized studies in urban planning at the Politecnico di Milano (Milan, Italy), urban research at the Centre de Recherche d’Urbanisme (Paris, France), and low-income housing at the Bouwcentrum (Rotterdam, The Netherlands).

He has been a professor at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) since March 1, 1976, teaching in the Department of Methods and Systems of the Division of Sciences and Arts for Design at the Xochimilco Campus. In March 2026, he celebrated 50 years of continuous academic service at UAM, a milestone that reflects five decades of dedicated teaching, research, academic leadership, and service to higher education. Throughout his distinguished career, he has carried out his academic activities with enthusiasm and excellence, earning broad recognition through his appointment as National Researcher Level III in Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNI), as well as numerous academic promotions and distinctions.

Within the results of his research work, he has published ten books with Editorial Trillas, four books with Editorial LIMUSA, and two books with Editorial Diana, in addition to numerous book chapters, articles in peer-reviewed journals, and keynote presentations at national and international conferences.

He has been recognized as a Level III Researcher in Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNI). He has also received the Alfonso Caso Medal from UNAM (1999) and the UAM Annual Research Award (2000).

His main research themes and their principal publications are the following.

Urban Growth and Low-Income Housing. He has conducted extensive field research on the chaotic and unplanned expansion of cities and the formation of informal settlements. These studies resulted in three books published by Editorial Trillas: Periferias Urbanas, Asentamientos Irregulares, and Viviendas Progresivas.

Urban Design. His research focuses primarily on urban mobility for both motor vehicles and pedestrians, as well as on the functional and spatial organization of cities. These contributions were published in two books by Editorial Trillas: Manual de Diseño Urbano and Movilidad y Planeación Urbana Estratégica, and two books by Editorial LIMUSA: Espacios Urbanos. Historia, Teoría y Práctica and Fraccionamientos: Diseño y Evaluación Financiera.

Climate Change. His research examines the impacts of climate change on urban environments and populations. This work has been published in two books by Editorial LIMUSA: Cambio Climático y Desastres Urbanos and Hacia un Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable, as well as in the Editorial Trillas book Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental Urbano.

Urban Space for People. His research analyzes the progressive loss of public space for pedestrians due to the dominance of motor vehicles and proposes urban design criteria aimed at creating safer, more comfortable, and more livable public spaces. This work was published by Editorial Trillas as Microurbanismo: Al Rescate del Peatón en los Espacios Urbanos.

Urban Densification. The enactment of Mexico’s new mortgage credit legislation in 2001 triggered a real estate boom throughout the country, particularly in major cities. This process stimulated the construction of apartment buildings, office towers, commercial facilities, and shopping centers, increasing land values and promoting the gradual densification of intermediate urban areas and major transportation corridors. His research examines the broader consequences of this process, including changes in residential mobility, socioeconomic transformation, increased traffic congestion, the expansion of tertiary activities, and the resulting changes in the physical and spatial structure of urban environments.

In addition to his books, he has published numerous book chapters and articles in indexed scientific journals and has participated as a keynote speaker at major national and international conferences.