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

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.
FULL STORY: Mexico City’s Ambitious Elevated Park

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.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

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

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.

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.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions