Bicentenario

Park
México city
Case Study conducted by Team 5:
María Baltazar
Anthony Ruiz
Hexiang Yin
Jimena García
Angelica Viñas
 Historical background

The refinery was The park is

closed due to the inaugurated From being highly polluting
enormous after its land, it became the second

1933 2007 2017

pollution it decontamination largest natural coexistence
generated. and sanitation space in Mexico City.

Company "El

1991 2010 2023

For 16 years the SEMARNAT cedes
Aguila" puts into land remained the park to
operation the unused , until INDAABIN for its
refinery "18 de 2007 when the concession to a
Marzo" government private company
which produced Magna and Premium decided to build
gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, diesel,
liquefied petroleum gas, and fuel oil.
the park.
 Location
Located in the western part of Mexico
city, on the boundary of Azcapotzalco
and Miguel Hidalgo.
Park information
● Land of 55 hectares
Divided into five gardens: Wind,
Water, Nature, Sun, Earth

Being considered the second largest

green lung in the city. Size 10 times larger than the
Zócalo of the Historic Center
Surface of green areas per inhabitant in the of Mexico City
municipalities:
Miguel Hidalgo: 15.4m2 ● Artificial lake of 4 hectares
Azcapotzalco: 9.9m2
● +3 million visitors per year
● 55,000 people weekly
● 12 sports areas

● +4,500 trees and +7,000 plants

● 7 ecosystems
S W

O T
 Ecological Climate Change Resil.
Strengths Also cultural, the park has a design based on the
aztec cosmology divided in seven ecosystems
.
Reduction of heat island effect
allowing to have more biodiversity.
It has eleven "Tormenta" tanks, for
The orchidarium has more than 1300 spp, 40% rainwater collection, for irrigation of
are native. green areas, refeeding of the deep
aquifer.
The park follows three main lines of action:
● Green energy
A water treatment plant with a
● Land remediation
● Water resource recovery capacity of 25 liters per second. 90%
savings in total normal water
Is one of the successful cases in México of consumption.
remediation and revitalization
Lighting through lamps with LED

Social inequality
system, placed on posts and
powered by solar cells.

The north of Mexico City is one of the

places with the lowest percentage of green
area per inhabitant.
So, the restoration and reconstruction of
this area provides access to that ecosystem
service
Verified the possibility of remediation,
revitalization and reintegration of a
contaminated site into the social and
economic life of Mexico City
 Environment
Weaknesses ● Adaptation of the park to have leisure spaces
where to carry out activities such as concerts or
fairs, regardless of the detriment of the green
areas
● High maintenance costs that are not reflected in
the care of the park and its green areas
● Disappearance and lack of maintenance in
species protection spaces (such as the axolotl)
● Trees with pests or sick, without sanitation or
pruning, which leads to a scarcity of animal
species.
Mobility and accessibility
● Deficiency in mobility and accessibility to
the park
● Few pedestrian entrances are located on
one side of the park, making it difficult to
complete the tour by only having one entry
and exit option
● Poor connection with the immediate urban
environment
● Lack of connectivity by only being able to
get to the place by only one mass type of
transport (Metro) or by private car.
Reinforcing social inequality due to its
location in one of the most economically
favored central demarcations.

Economy Infrastructure
● Lack of government interest and involvement ● Scarce implementation of green
● Little transparency about the regulation, infrastructure that benefits the park itself ,
financing, use and current management of the such as green roofs, permeable
park pavements, etc.
● Privatization, involving the increase of costs in ● Spaces without urban furniture, areas that
areas of consumption, parking lots and are out of service and the lack of shade
implementing prohibitions from trees, do not invite the population to
● Greater concern for surplus value than for the remain in the area
benefits provided to the environment and the
population (Green gentrification)
 Environment
Adaptation of the park to have leisure
spaces where to carry out activities,
regardless of the detriment of the green
areas
Lack of care and maintenance of plant and
animal species

Infrastructure
Scarce implementation of green
infrastructure
Spaces without urban furniture, areas that
are out of service

Mobility and accessibility

Deficiency in mobility and accessibility to the
park.
Lack of connectivity (few means of transport
reach the place)
Few pedestrian entrances

Economy
Privatization of the park. involving the
increase of costs in different areas
 Public Events
Opportunities ●
●
The park has hosted concerts and other events as
advertised within the website.
The expansion of events to cater to other
demographics (such as children or the elderly) can
expand the space for improved events for the
public.
Cycling Advocation
● The trails provide on-site cyclists to ride through the
attractive ecosystems.
● Organized cycling groups can utilize this park as
scheduled ride alongs to advocate for safer and
more plentiful bike lanes.
Educational Opportunities
● On-site habitats can serve as outdoor classrooms
and provide students direct experience of their
environment.
● Can further be volunteer-based and allow students
to assist in the landscaping and maintaining the
park and greenhouses.
Sustainability
● Given that the park is located within an urban
environment, the park can benefit from being
more sustainable.
● Rain Collection: The park can assist in
reducing runoff by collecting rainwater and
reusing it.
● Renewable Energy: The use of solar panels
and other forms of renewable energy can be
used to power the park and the surrounding
area
● Waste Reduction: Given the mass attraction of
the park, it likely generates large amounts of
waste. Through the use of clearly labeled
garbage bins, food and drinks destined for
landfills can be used for creating compost.
● Greening the urban environment: The park is
crucial in this regard and should be
maintained to assist people and the native
species that reside in the urban environment.
Threats Environment
Due to climate change,
● Rising temperatures may exacerbate
the heat island effect, requiring
increased park maintenance and
potential redesign.
● Climate change may also increase the
likelihood of extreme weather and
drought, challenging the drainage
system in the park, also damaging the
park's vegetation as well as its
ecosystems
People
Rapid urbanization,
● Causing the park to need to deal with
increasing amounts of pollutants,
creating more challenges for the
ecosystem in the park
● More noise may affect the experience
of visitors in the park
Shift from the government to privately own,
● Less funding means less
maintenance, which will affect the
overall appearance of the park
Misuse of park resources,
● Excessive number of visitors may lead
to resource degradation and possible
littering
PROPOSALS
 Social
● Increase connectivity to surrounding urban
environment (smooth edges), by opening of
fenced areas of the park at strategic points that
allow a greater connection with the immediate
urban environment
● Increased signage giving park information and
identification cards on the various plant species.
● Wayfinding signs to promote the use of public
transportation and cycling.
● Creation of events that bring people outdoors to
this space.
● Creation of a variety of recreational activities that
bring all demographics together (youth, elderly,
etc.)
● Art installations that represent existing
community.
● Remembering history by installation to inform
community of prior oil refinery use and the
remediation techniques used
Environmental
● Creation of publicly available planting plan and
inventory.
● Evaluation and attention to trees in poor condition.
● Implementation of more native species based on
inventory, particularly for the western zone of the
Community
park that lack vegetation.
Gardens
● Ensure green spaces are maintained during
Environmental events (festivals, concerts, fairs)
Educational ● Stormwater Collection via rain barrels to reduce
Programming runoff from impervious surfaces.
● Incorporation of renewable technologies to create
Landscape
Stewardship energy for the park and surrounding area.
Volunteer ● Recycle on-site waste and a more organized
collection system to reduce waste for landfills and
create compost to feed back into the landscape.
● Implementation of artificial wetland as
nature-based solution to treat wastewater
Thank you
Questions?