Plans have been unveiled to reclaim a road in Mexico City, Mexico, from cars. Avenida Chapultepec is one of the city's busy main arteries, but is clogged with cars and splits the city. The historical road will feature an elevated park with green spaces and a layout tailored for those on foot or bike.
Cultural Corridor Chapultepec is similar to the proposed Miami Underline, in that it is aimed at creating a more pedestrian-friendly route through its locale while following the route of existing transport infrastructure. Unlike the Underline, however, it will require the construction of an elevated section, as opposed to being created underneath an existing one.
Avenida Chapultepec runs from the Chapultepec Park to the Glorieta de los Insurgentes and is said to date back to at least as far as 1532. It is thought that the street follows the path of a Pre-Hispanic road. An aqueduct for providing water to Mexico City was also built along its route in the 18th century.
Now, it is hoped that a 0.8-mi (1.3-km) stretch of the road can be developed into a green urban space with a view to improving quality of life in the area. The firm behind the 452,085 sq ft (42,000 sq m) development, Fernando Romero Enterprise, says the scheme will "transform the context by recovering its history" and that it will become a destination for meeting and for activity.
At street level, a main promenade will run along the center of the avenue. Car lanes will be pushed to the sides so that the promenade width can be maximized to 57 m (187 ft) in places, and there will be new lanes added for buses, bikes, skaters, wheelchairs and strollers. Pedestrian crosswalks will provide access to the promenade and are designed to minimize the potential for accidents.
The new upper level will have a retail offering and an additional pedestrian promenade. It will feature green landscaping, with flora selected to provide shade to the public and regulate temperature. The planting will be irrigated using recycled rainwater, and solar cells will be employed to generate electricity.
The plans for the Corredor Cultural Chapultepec were presented by Fernando Romero last week and the project is expected to be completed by 2017.
Source: Fernando Romero Enterprise
