Justice

'The Border Is a Way of Reinforcing Antagonism That Doesn't Exist'

Architect Teddy Cruz and political scientist Fonna Forman want to turn the line between the U.S. and Mexico into a site for creative problem solving.
Living on the edge: In their project "Manufactured Sites," Cruz and Forman proposed propping up the informal settlements growing around the U.S. border in Tijuana with industrial materials.Estudio Teddy Cruz + Forman

Throughout this week, CityLab is running a series on borders—both real and imagined—and what draws so many of us to places on the edge.

The U.S.-Mexico border has been long been portrayed as a source of threat and instability in political rhetoric. And that characterization has been particularly potent in this election, helping to pave Donald Trump’s path to victory.