Reinventing a Storied Thoroughfare in Mexico City

A team of designers will convert one Mexico City's most dangerous highways into an urban oasis.

2 minute read

September 10, 2015, 11:00 AM PDT

By Emily Calhoun


Chapultepec Fountain

Ulisesmorales via Wikimedia Commons / Fuente del Acueducto de Chapultepec

Centuries ago, Avenida Chapultepec was a canal dividing indigenous groups in the Aztec empire. Today, with only remnants of an abandoned aqueduct and Mexico City's oldest fountain, the wide avenue passes through the trendy neighborhoods of Roma and La Condesa, heading east from Chapultepec Park to the colonial and commercial center of the city.

With one of the highest traffic accident rates for pedestrians, cyclists, and automobile drivers, the 10-lane highway is ripe for renovation. The city has hired a team of designers, led by Fernando Romero of FR-EE, to overhaul the busy street into a multi-level, green oasis for the city of 20 million. Romero's design for the thoroughfare draws inspiration from the history of water as a fundamental presence in the space. “We thought it would be nice to create a geometry based on the fluidity of water, creating a pedestrian connection among the city's various cultural contexts in the most efficient and seamless way,” says Romero.

Heading west, the avenue will include a gradual inclination to a pedestrian-only elevated path with retail shops and an outdoor amphitheater. Along with troughs of water, and dedicated bike and bus lanes, the team plans to drastically increase the share of the avenue for pedestrians and double the number of trees. "The new avenue is designed to create a sense of discovery, pulling people through to enjoy the safe passage to the views, trees, and public spaces," writes Jared Green.

Thursday, August 27, 2015 in ASLA's The Dirt blog

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Flat modern glass office tower with "County of Santa Clara" sign.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing

The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

May 23 - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant

A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

May 23 - Governing

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

May 23 - The Daily Yonder