Francisco Platas (B.Eng., M.Sc., M.Arch., D.Des.) is a Full Professor of Design at the Autonomous University of the State of México (Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, UAEMEX) and Associate Professor at the National Autonomous University of México (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM). He worked as a Senior Manager for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and National Alerting System (Federal Government of Mexico). His research interests include: Everyday Design, Disasters and Infrastructure History. His current research interests are in the role of complex systems and cliodynamics in community responses to socio-environmental changes in Latin American Cities.