Playa del Carmen’s Urban Growth Outpaces Basic Services, Experts Warn

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Rapid urban growth in Playa del Carmen has overwhelmed the city’s basic services, according to local specialists who point to major infrastructure projects such as the Tren Maya and the Tulum airport as the main drivers.

“The large projects that were not anticipated, like the Tren Maya and the Tulum airport, sparked a boom in urban development. The people who came and stayed have demanded more basic services, and demand has now exceeded capacity for drinking water, electricity, medical care, transportation, and more. This needs to be addressed so the city can grow in an orderly way,” said architect Manuel Barrero Gutiérrez, president of the College of Architects of Playa del Carmen.

Engineer Silvano Mendoza said the demand for services has outgrown what authorities can provide. “They have invested in drinking water and sewage infrastructure, electricity, health services, education, road connectivity to improve public transit, and affordable housing, but it isn’t enough,” he said.

Barrero explained that about 20,000 hectares in the city are designated for growth under the Local Ecological Ordinance Program (POEL) and the Urban Development Program. Roughly 8,000 hectares are already occupied, leaving about 12,000 hectares available for future development.

He stressed the need to build the accompanying infrastructure to avoid a gap between housing and services. “We now have to understand that the large projects not foreseen in the urban fabric of Quintana Roo’s cities created this gap, and more infrastructure is now required to address social problems.”

The architect said authorities at all three levels of government are working on solutions, including adding electrical substations, but it will take time. A new high-voltage line near Punta Maromas is planned to improve power supply to the city, which has become necessary due to rapid growth.

He also called for updating Playa del Carmen’s planning instruments, noting that the POEL and Urban Development Program are supposed to be reviewed at least every three years. “With the Tren Maya and the Felipe Carrillo Puerto ecological reserve, we are obliged to update both programs so that development remains sustainable,” he said.