CIUDAD NUEVA

Existing Conditions

Ciudad Nueva is a prosperous commercial area south of Ruta 2 that is developing very quickly. The development in the area consists of low-rise buildings, and can be classified as low-rise sprawl.

Within Ciudad Nueva, the specific focus of our interventions is at the intersection of Avenida San Jose and Julio Cesar Riquelme. Currently, the medians that run along the avenues approaching the intersection are quite narrow and frequently occupied by vendors and vehicles. In addition, angled street parking is common in this section of the city and flooding is a persistent problem.

Intervention Overview

The intersection chosen for redesign falls a little bit further south of Ruta 2 and was chosen due to the location being identified as a quickly growing area of the city. Existing Intersection

The proposed redesign seeks to coordinate future development with public transit infrastructure. The recommendation proposes a new bus stop be added to this intersection. In addition, a 5-ft motorcycle lane will be added next to the median, which will help improve road safety. Street trees and planters will also be added to the median to mitigate the impact of flooding and make the area more pleasant for pedestrians.

This intervention also includes a recommendation to encourage denser commercial land use and mixed land use in the long term, in order to concentrate development near the bus stop. By integrating the improved transit system with new development, more residents will be incentivized to take public transit and thus, further promote sustainable development.

The proposed intervention involves converting the two intersecting avenues into more pedestrian-friendly spaces that are more resilient to flooding and more accessible to transit passengers and motorcycle users. Both of the “Before” and “After” graphic pairs are for Avenida Julio Cesar Riquelme (north-south). The “Before” and “After” graphics on the left shows the breakdown of the street section, with the 5-ft motorcycle lanes and the position of the bus shelter for the bus stop.

The “Before” and “After” graphics on the right represent what the street could look like with the proposed redesign.

Before

After

After

Key Objectives Fulfilled