Through 6 years, we worked on a holistic intervention within the district, investing 50 MUSD in strategic interventions to make Centro Valle a better place to live and visit. Through new infrastructure and renovation of streets and parks, together with radical land use changes to incentivize new housing, and control office and commercial space growth - the district has a new face and the physical and normative conditions to evolve into an vibrant and accesible neighborhood.
Strategies and Projects:
1. People oriented streets
1.1 Las Calzadas
1.2 Centrito Valle
1.3 Los Tubos
2. High quality urban parks
2.1 Parque Mississippi
2.2 Parque El Capitán
3. New zoning codes to allow new housing
3.1 Centro Valle Development Plan 2040
3.2 Calzadas Development Plan 2040
3.3 Active building design codes
4. Safe and convenient transportation
4.1 Metrovan Valle
4.2 Wayfinding
If streets represent nearly 70% of public space, why do we think of them just as spaces to move?
Design: Prohábitat
Dates: 2019 - 2021
The streets Calzada del Valle and Calzada San Pedro are the main articulators of the District and conform one of the main identities of San Pedro.
However, systematic disinvestment in its streets and land use regulations was turning the space into a hostile environment with obstructed sidewalks and a proliferation of auto oriented commerce.
The project consisted on recovering private invasions along 10km of sidewalks, and exchanging electricity posts to trees.
The sidewalk’s design consists of a planter to hold trees and lamp posts, a main unobstructed path, and a buffer to accommodate the integration to each building’s front.
Site’s original condition:
Design: IMPLANG + PV Paisajismo + JOA
Dates: 2022 - 2024
This project’s objective was to create a safe, vibrant, and inviting public space in the commercial heart of San Pedro while connecting the parks.
With the principle of designing streets as places to be in, not just to pass through, the 5km long intervention’s design was approached as a road diet, significantly expanding garden areas to hold trees, vegetation, and a diversity of sitting elements.
We also increased pedestrian connectivity by adding mid-block crossings on the 300m long blocks and raised two streets to have the flexibility of transforming them into pedestrian plazas on special days.
Site’s original condition:
Design: JOA
Dates: 2020 - 2021
San Pedro’s intersection with more pedestrians had no pedestrian crossings and people risked their lives to cross from one side to the other.
The project redestributes the space to prioritize pedestrians, by including a traffic light signal, raised crosswalks wider sidewalks and a new landscape with trees, vegetation, lighting and benches.
Site’s original condition:
Design: PVP Paisajismo
Dates: 2018 - 2021
Parque Mississippi was the first intervention we did in the first term. The park had the same infrastructure and playgrounds since the 1990’s, and together with the perimeter fence with locks on its only access point it was barely used by a few residents.
The design consisted on enhancing the programmatic components that several generations enjoyed, with high quality design and a focus on maintaining its mature trees.
Also, the incorporation of paths to cut through the park, picnic tables and the removal of the perimeter fence invites people that work and live in the neighborhood to enter and stay.
Site’s original condition:
Design: GDU / Mario Schjetnan
Dates: 2019 - 2021
The streets Calzada del Valle and Calzada San Pedro are the main articulators of the District and conform one of the main identities of San Pedro.
However, systematic disinvestment in its streets and land use regulations was turning the space into a hostile environment with obstructed sidewalks and a proliferation of auto oriented commerce.
The project consisted on recovering private invasions along 10km of sidewalks, and exchanging electricity posts to trees.
The sidewalk’s design consists of a planter to hold trees and lamp posts, a main unobstructed path, and a buffer to accommodate the integration to each building’s front.
Site’s original condition:
Design: Implang
Dates: 2019-2021
To address the ongoing deterioration of Centro Valle, we devised a comprehensive plan to revise land use and zoning regulations, aiming to create favorable conditions for the development of human-scale housing within the district.
Design: Implang
Dates: 2023
To complement improvements in public spaces with private developments, we introduced active building design codes aimed at enhancing the district’s urban environment.
These codes serve as a guide for property owners and renters to harmonize the urban image. By providing a clear, user-friendly document that consolidates four different guidelines, we simplified the rules to promote better understanding and implementation.
The design recommendations focus on people-centered approaches, sustainable materials, and aesthetic consistency, ensuring a cohesive and vibrant urban landscape. This process was conducted in collaboration with local residents to reflect community values and needs.
Design and implementation: Implang
Date: 2024
As part of a comprehensive parking strategy, we reimagined parking systems to reduce reliance on street parking and transition spaces to off-street alternatives.
We leveraged underutilized parking capacities in nearby commercial plazas through partnerships for employee use and introduced a last-mile shuttle circuit connecting these parking areas to the district center.
This shuttle offers a practical transportation alternative for workers, tourists, and older adults, making mobility more efficient and accessible.
Design and implementation: Implang
Date: 2024
The wayfinding initiative promotes exploration of the district’s attractions—ranging from local cuisine to cultural destinations—while also addressing the needs of a city with significant internal migration.
Designed with accessible language, the project guides residents and visitors alike, encouraging walking and cycling as alternative modes of transportation. By enhancing orientation and fostering curiosity, this project helps create a welcoming and navigable environment for all.