Cuernavaca Railway Linear Park, Mexico

MAR-241, Designing with Nature

Ann Mary Jiji Shafaq Sulmaz

INTRODUCTION
In August 2016 the government of Mexico City
through SEDUVI, the delegation Miguel
Hidalgo and the College of Architects of Mexico,
call the International Ideas Competition for the
construction of the Cuernavaca Railroad Linear
Park. The project is located in the corridor of
Cuernavaca Railroad built in 1898 that would
connect Mexico City with the port of
Acapulco.
The two-phase competition summoned 400
studios from all over the world and involved the
effort and work in collaboration of citizens,
authorities and technicians working focused on
creating a public space that interweaves 22
colonies along 4.5 km and 130,000m2, adding
and building in the system 2016 2017 2020
major: the city.
In December 2017, the construction of this first
sector of 1.4 km of the total was completed. The
park.
It is a social and spatial success for having
transformed a residual, dangerous and unused
area qualified in a park for the people, with a
bike path that connects the city and forums and
programs in permanent use.
For this, in addition to the executive project, a
socialization and management project was very
necessary.
To interact with different government actors and
neighborhood groups that reside in the place
and
have a feeling of strong ownership.
Concept Location

The main idea of Cuernavaca railway linear park

by Gaeta-Springall Arquitectos was to build a park on a
4.5 km infrastructural line from a programmed urban
forest. The proposal contemplated two levels:
A linear park 4.5 km long that crosses 22
neighborhoods and builds a city; building a democratic,
active, programmed, inclusive, sustainable and
connecting space; a space that contributed to the spirit
of community and could add to the feeling of ownership
by the people; and understand the park as part of a
larger unit: the CDMX Green District.

In August 2016, the government of Mexico City, through

the Secretariat for Urban Development and Housing
(SEDUVI), the Miguel Hidalgo delegation and the
College of Architects of Mexico, convened the
International Ideas Competition for the Construction of
the Cuernavaca Railway Linear Park (PL-FFCC).
Urban forests are qualified spaces that have numerous
social, economic and environmental advantages; In
addition, they are for the citizen, part of the collective
imagination because they are easily associable with our
existing urban forests, the most prominent being the
forests of Chapultepec and Tlalpan. This very unique
and qualified condition has enormous environmental
and social benefits, from issues of air quality, noise
reduction to those that refer to educational issues and
community appropriation and empowerment.
Public System

(Radius of mobility)

(Landmark)
(Green Areas)

(Corridors)
The project actions are developed and framed in 5 objectives very clearly:

1. SOCIAL: Project from and for the people, generating

democratic and multi social spaces that serve both the local
population and visitors. Always project with active
participation and with socialized projects in all their stages.

2. IDENTITY AND MEMORY: Strengthen the identity and

memory of the place and its inhabitants by building parts of
the site and its inhabitants to continue in the process and
evolution.

3. SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY: Make

the PL-FFCC project an example in terms of sustainability. PL-
FFCC already starts from a contemporary conception and
sustainability in social, environmental and educational matters
so that membership offers guarantees for the proper
development of the project and its maintenance, as well as for
the treatment and water reserves.

4. MULTI-SCALE READING: Project being aware that the

project is part of a larger system that is the city, passing
through other previous subsystems of circuits and routes.

5. COSTS: We build a rational project that adheres to the given

costs; both the initial implementation of the project as well as
maintenance.
Regarding the vegetation,
young and medium-sized
trees are chosen that will
grow as Pass the time;
they will take over the
place over time. Endemic
species of the City of
Mexico, also discarding
elements that imply high
or special maintenance.
Elements that make up the project:
The red line: At a time when new walls are proposed that separate
and divide, in a place of almost unbreakable parallel borders, we build
a line that sews, that unites, an anti-wall and anti-border gesture,
which suggests a system permeable edges. It is a line that plays at
ground level, rises smoothly, sews parts, points and builds accents,
interweaves and connects. The red line is programmatic and
functional, it integrates the benches, linearly developed children's
games.
Red line / seam. Sew, point, build and connect.
A line that transgresses the rigid system of parallels: train tracks.
Water Follies / water cared for and celebrated:
We celebrate water; we elevate it and make it more present. The
water follies build an emergent and omnipresent gesture in the
park. Green and water, Mexico's debts with its people and its territory,
are the elements that emerge and accentuate the route over the
linear park. are the resource-elements within the park's irrigation
plan; To these are added the rain gardens developed along the route.
The follies are small constructions, generally of Romanesque
character, used to harmoniously enhance the routes of the garden or
park walks where they were erected, such as bridges, pavilions,
caves, waterfalls, roundabouts, among others (ARQHYS Magazine,
2012) .
Water Follies. We celebrate water, we elevate it, we make it omnipresent.
The children's park:
Working with the community, the “Children's Park” project was created,
where days were taken of photographs of the children of the neighborhood
that would become part of the facades and borders of the park. The
technique: the Stencil .
Working with the community, the “Children's Park” project was created,
where days were taken of photographs of the children of the neighborhood
that would become part of the facades and borders of the park. The
technique: the Stencil .

People. The creation of a place, activation of social life.

People. Increase in recreational and sports areas.

70 PROJECTUAL ACTIONS: Patrimonial PAT. Bike Taxis.
Rescue of heritage pieces. Electric mini train.
AGU Rainwater management. Disclosure of heritage pieces. Turibus route.
Water storage. Accessibility to metro stations.
Biofilters. I DEP Sports infrastructure. Safe crossings.
Rain gardens. New courts. Ramps.
Contribution of rainwater by neighbors. New areas for gymnastics.
Skate park. Other Facilities.
FOR Forestar. Programmatic boxes. WIFI-BU installation.
Tree planting plan. Forums. Installation of cameras.
Ground cover sowing plan. Amphitheaters. Construction of trench for pipelines.
Planting plan for exotic species. School boxes. New underground facilities.
Forest educational plan. Childish games. ACC Universal Accessibility.
Urban gardens. Games for young people. Guides for the blind.
Recovery of nearby public squares. Day care centers. Braille signage.
Recovery of transversal systems. Young man's house. Smell gardens.
CD-EP From the City. Outdoor cinema. RES Waste Management.
Generate plans with times and distances. Waste containers.
Generate plans with circuits of public spaces. MOB Furniture. Forums-waste classification.
Generate comparative signage between PL-FFCC and Benches PAS Passive Technologies.
other forests. Tables Installation of photovoltaic cells.
OBU Pride Urban forest. Bumps / Games. Contribution of energy by neighbors.
Neighborhood watch service. Bicycle racks.
Urban forest pride campaign. Containers for solid waste. ILU Lighting Installations.
Intervention with murals on fences. Spaces for adults. General lighting project.
Educational forums on caring for the forest. MOV Mobility Lighting incorporated into equipment.
Signage with history of the place. Adjustment and reduction of streets. Facade lighting.
Location plans, distances and times. Bike paths ENE Power generation.
Signage with meeting points. Eco-Bike Station. Energy spinning.
Permeate fence. Bay for bicycles. Windmills.
Pedestrian paths.