Fringe Conditions

The elop*8 Project Fall 2015 goes to Querétaro Mexico
The transdisciplinary and transcultural project Platform elop* announces the 8th Project called Fringe Conditions – Querétaro Mexico.

The Project is a co-organization with Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Querétaro and takes place in collaboration with the elop*alliance partner universities. For further information about the program, please see the brochure elop8. 

Context 

Querétaro (short for Santiago de Querétaro), in Mexico, is one of the fastest growing cities in Latin America. It has a historical downtown considered a “World Heritage City” by UNESCO. However, even tough the historical site is the hub of the social, governmental and commercial activities, there still is a lack of green public spaces, pedestrian accessibility, alternative modes of mobility, social cohesion and the application of energy efficiency in buildings.

The historical center area has received notorious attention from tourists. Consequently local authorities have enforced rigid construction codes eluding new architectural typologies and urban densities. A few critics have raised concerns for the “disneyfication” or false identity of this area. Others have manifested their preoccupation for the excessive creation of cafes, hotels and restaurants making the downtown area an exclusive location causing gentri - fication, while the surrounding neighborhood have little attention and fun - ding. The UNESCO-protected downtown is not the only area touched by controversy in Querétaro.

Furthermore, some of the neighborhoods in the fringes of the downtown area, like the one known as “La otra banda” (literally translated as “the others”), suffer different challenges such as:

• Urban detachment from the UNESCO-protected area: a ravine crosses through the city, and the underutilised train tracks separate different areas.
• Public infrastructure is deprived: there is a public market, a park, and a cul - tural center that urgently need renovation.
• Local population, tourists, and economical funding disregard the area

Situation and Task 

In recent years population has grow at a staggering rate due immigration attracted by the economic bonanza of Querétaro. This phenomenon pushes the city to expand further, rather than consider the renovation and democratic redensification of its downtown area.

The objective is to rejuvenate a specific area within Downtown (4.45 km2), just outside the UNESCO site in order to link the different neighborhoods. The idea is to propose a holistic approach that considerers the social, environmental, urban and landscape conditions that rejuvenates the existing location.

If this Revitalization happens it could benefit in several ways:

• It could ease the constant pressure to the UNESCO site, by having more activities outside the historical center
• Promote a more sustainable city
• It could become a model of density instead of expansion
• Link several parks and green spaces that are not connected
• Promote more pedestrian streets
• Promote a more equitable city

For more information, visit the Cabinet of Curiosities