Atlas of Public Space

Authority of Public Space, Mexico City

The work at the Authority of Public Space of the government of Mexico City was to develop the ongoing Project “Atlas of Public Spaces”. This project consists of identifying and gathering information in situ about public spaces in Mexico City in order to contribute to the existing GIS database. The objective of mapping the city is to index the public spaces and analyze them in a cross-sectional way with census, zoning, and other GIS data.

Our work consisted in developing the conceptual and methodological framework through site visits and interviews with the community and working with the AEP. Through a series of discussions between the group and according to the presentations given by members the AEP and local Institutions, we were able to understand the limits and potentials of the Atlas as well as a planning tool: the Atlas would be a Project by itself; a project for creating both knowledge and work.

In a city with over 5,000 public spaces, our work was to identify the variables that could define the spatial, social and environmental conditions for any given public space in the city. Once this is achieved, an overall map/atlas of public spaces could be built functioning as a series of lenses for analyzing, planning and evaluating the public realm.

After presenting our research to Felipe Leal, the Secretary of Urban Development and Housing of Mexico City, Daniel Escotto, the Director of the Authority of Public Space and other officials of the city, the project reached the attention of the Mayor, Marcelo Ebrard. The Mayor gave the green light to continue its development and implementation within a new interinstitutional framework.

2010 Harvard Graduate School of Design Community Service Fellowship
Program – International Travel
Team: Constantinos Bouras, Laura Janka, Rober W. de Miguel, Víctor
Muñoz Sanz, Christopher Roach.

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