Landscape Democracy 2015 Working Group G - Case Study 4

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Please add the title of your case study here, adjust the map coordinates (lat + lng) and replace the moa image with a characteristic image of your site

Place name	Chapultepec Avenue
Location	Mexico City
Country	Mexico
Author(s)	Jorge Dzib

Rationale: Why have you chosen this case for the landscape and democracy seminar?

• brief explanation in essay style, approx 150 words

Capultepec Avenue is one of the most important roads in Mexico City. It has very remote origins. In Aztec times was an aqueduct that take water from the Chapultepec springs to the inner city. In the XX century was one of the important axis of the city from west to east. It connects the Chapultepec park to the city center and crosses the “Circuito interior” and the “Insurgentes” avenues. It also has an important role in public transport. The first metro line of all the city goes under it and one of the main center of distribution for buses is in the start of it. In recent times Chapultepec avenue has been replaced by Viaducto, Reforma avenues as the main east west axis. Yet it keeps a key roll in how the core city works. However, currently the place is in bad conditions and need urgently a renewal. A new project for that was presented by the government. There had been a lot of controversy in the way how the project was assigned and why there was any pubic consultation. For some of The Project seem a big urban mall and there and privatization of public space.

Representation of your observations

• you are basically free to use one or a mix of different presentation techniques
• possibilities are: analytical drawings, graphical representations, collages, video clips, comic/graphic novel, written essay/visual essay
• please add any visual material to the gallery, videos can be placed below, you may add text as you like

• Observations
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  case representation

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  case representation

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  case representation

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  case representation

Reflection

What are the major challenges for changing the situation?

The most challenging situation is that a big project that could have a major impact in one of the oldest and more important avenues of the city is going to be built with out any consultation from the government and assign with no clear reason. The neighbors and a big group of architects are not happy about it and claim that is a privatization of the public space. The current proposal consists in a linear public space above the current road with open spaces and stores. The authority and investors say that there is also going to be some cultural program that could benefit the population. This has not been enough to hide the fact that most of the use will be commercial and the profits will remain with the private investors. The main achievement of the reaction of the public opinion has been that a public consultation has been announced. Yet there has been doubt of the transparency of the process and the access to information.

What could be a starting point for democractically-based change?

The first step may already had happened when the population take action and decide to participate. The next step will be the pubic consultation. Is in the hand of the people to inform themselves, participate and in hand of the government to watch and respect a democratic process. An interesting thing is that a lot of proposals have arise as the result of this controversy. This has been very positive because in an active way the architect community has created a very free creative process with the rest of the population. This has created a lot of good analysis and new proposals for the avenue.

Last news: A consultation was made and the project wasn´t chosen. The government had to cancel the project.

Stakeholder Mapping

Create a visual representation of the stakeholder groups that are involved in your case. Try to cover the following aspects in your representation: Power (high, medium, low) / Support (positive, neutral, negative)/ Influence (high or low)/ Need (strong, medium, weak)+ also map the relationships between the stakeholder groups

• Stakeholder Map
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  Stakeholder Map

Change Scenario

Look at the various methods and tools available and think how they can be applied creatively. Think about the needs of different stakeholder groups - you may need a methodical mix to address them all. Visualize a scenario illustrating how these methods/tools can be applied within an imagined time frame

• Change Scenario
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  Change Scenario

Cross cutting theme

Identify a cross-cutting theme/topic between the cases of your group and write a short reflection on it (approx. 150 words)

Concluding reflections

Reflect on your case and your change model. Potentials? Limitations? (approx. 150 words)

References

http://plumasatomicas.com/2015/08/zode-chapultepec-una-nueva-privatizacion-del-espacio-publico-en-el-df/

http://www.entornointeligente.com/articulo/6547746/MEXICO-Viable-nuevo-paseo-cultural-ChapultepecZona-Rosa-

http://www.arquine.com/la-falacia-del-corredor-cultural-chapultepec/

http://www.arquine.com/la-falacia-del-corredor-cultural-chapultepec/

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1764199&page=6

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