STRATEGIC WALKABILITY INTERVENTION
by ana rodriguez FROM MEXICO
The project's main idea is to accomplish a complete tactical urbanism exercise at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (AUBC-Autonomous University of California) through the annual Pedestrian Congress.
Road safety interventions will be held in a main avenue so that the publicity and attention the City of Ensenada will receive as the host of the Congress will be maximized. This is something that has never been done before. This will highlight the lack of pedestrian accessibility in the area. It will also highlight the importance of developing practical solutions founded on the processes of tactical urbanism.
The event will create workshops and gather facilitators and experts to promote and exchange ideas on tactical urbanism. Citizens will also be allowed to consolidate the existing work of different groups and organizations to plan and execute improvement proposals.
The proposals will go through the conceptualization, evaluation, and execution stages. These will be supported by local activists, citizens, architecture, sociology, medical students, and more.
Photo from Ken Eckert
ABOUT THE PROJECT LEAD
Ana is a 33-year-old urbanist architect who works as an independent consultant and university teacher. Her journey began ten years ago when she served as an urban activist in Monterrey City. She eventually extended her reach to a national level of architecture and urbanism through her position in Liga Peatonal.
She moved to Guadalajara to pursue a Master’s Education where she completed research on Transport Oriented Development (TOD) as a development tool in Monterrey. She has a volunteering experience in TECHO, a Latin American base organization working on urban slums, and other community spaces. Professionally, she has experience in urban mobility, design participation, and architecture.
PROJECT UPDATES
Ana and her team from Liga Peatonal walked the streets of Ensenada as part of Congreso Peatonal and their "well-being walk”. They also evaluated how more walkable streets result in a better, cleaner, and greener environment.
According to the group, Ensenada’s public transport system is one of the most expensive and inefficient in the country and it does not have a dignified infrastructure for active mobility. The city is built around the coast and, although the sea is the living force of the landscape, it is privatised and polluted.
The group encouraged people to “take a walk” and turn to more active modes of transport.
PROJECT GALLERY
