City and Regional Planning students in Assistant Professor Erick Guerra’s recent studio in Queretaro, Mexico contributed to a winning proposal for the UN Habitat’s Global Public Space Program. Their plan for a multimodal transportation and public space project in the poor suburban neighborhood of Santa Maria Magdalena was part of the competition entry that recently earned a $100,000 implementation grant.
Launched in 2011, UN Habitat’s Global Public Space Program aims to improve the quality of public spaces worldwide. The program works in more than 20 countries, focusing mainly on cities in developing countries where high percentages of the population live in informal settlements. Cities and local governments (such as the government of Queretaro) serve as the program’s primary partners, and are often tasked with the creation and management of public spaces on the local level.
For the PennDesign studio, convened in Fall 2016, Queretaro’s municipal government partnered with Guerra and his eight graduate students to develop a bicycle network plan to help transform the city into the cycling capital of Mexico. Located in central Mexico, Queretaro is situated on relatively flat terrain, which makes it ideal for urban cycling; however, much of the population lives outside the city center (which includes a UNESCO World Heritage site) and must travel long distances, relying on a fragmented cycling infrastructure. Students spent the week with the staff of the Secretary of Mobility, traveling around the city by bicycle and participating in a weekly night-ride event with hundreds of local residents.
Queretaro is situated on relatively flat terrain, which makes it ideal for urban cycling; however, much of the population lives outside the city center and must travel long distances, relying on a fragmented cycling infrastructure.
Together, the class conducted intensive statistical demographic research, geographic analysis, existing conditions surveys, and site visits to increase connectivity for a broader population and improve conditions for existing cyclists. The resulting plan’s strategies emphasize transportation equity and encourage a culture shift towards cycling.
Students also developed individual recommendations for interventions, ranging from building the cycling network to market planning. Cari Krol, for example, developed a product called “Bici Box,” an inexpensive and flexible space to serve as bicycle storage, bicycle rental facilities, and repair stations that respond to several factors such as topography, existing bike share locations, and bus routes. For Krol, the project and studio offered the opportunity to integrate her interests in urban design and the public realm.
“I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and experience a transportation planning studio where I could incorporate urban design, rather than the other way around,” said Krol. “I am also a cyclist, so I was automatically drawn to this studio!”
In the coming months, the winning UN Habitat team will develop a more detailed implementation plan for its public space project. With local buy-in and governmental support, the team is poised to help Queretaro achieve the vision outlined in the studio’s final plan, helping the city create more equitable and environmentally conscientious urban environments.
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