AVENIDA VIVA
Avenues made to live
Towards a renaturalized, healthier, and more resilient city.
Changing the popular imagination that people have about streets and their relationship with the environment is crucial when designing inclusive and regenerative public spaces. Shifting the map of social pathways means adapting both the spaces for meeting and interpreting nature, as well as the way it is perceived.
From this perspective, we advocate for working with the existing mobility system, renaturalizing it and transforming it into a catalyst for activities, flows, dynamics, and biodiversity. We understand “streets of the future” as those that prioritize ecological mobility and habitability, where new ways for pedestrians and residents to use the street are created, with new recreational facilities, more community programs, and quality green spaces resilient to the passage of time.
That said, we view Av. Directorio as a green backbone that expands to embrace the different bordering large-scale programs, such as Plaza 11 de Noviembre, Plaza Misericordia with the Señora de la Misericordia School, the Tranvía sector, Parque Chacabuco, and the Pías School linked to the underpass of Av. 25 de Mayo. At the same time, the avenue narrows to continue its linear path and accommodate the mobility flows.
This prioritizes pedestrians, micromobility, public transport, ecological mobility (bikes, scooters, etc.), and nature within the city. To this end, we create “green strips” of 5m x 2m that, in their repetition, generate the linearity of the avenue. These strips aim to reduce the scale of perception that citizens have of an avenue, with the purpose of renaturalizing and domesticating it so that passersby can create a closer connection with the environment, introducing native, resilient species to educate and raise awareness in society about the local native ecosystem. At the same time, the green strips control and structure the mobility of the avenue, separating and characterizing each type of mobility based on speed, so that people feel safe and protected while walking through it daily. Additionally, they have a hydrological function, as one of them transforms into a stormwater garden to capture and retain runoff water.
Tranvía Sector
A “superblock” is created as the main action in this sector to link the Polvorín Workshop and the Centenera Laboratory with Parque Chacabuco. We create a semi-pedestrian route with vehicular mobility restricted on weekends, which embraces the mentioned programs to strengthen the connection between Parque Chacabuco and the Tranvía block. For the same purpose, the streets surrounding the Polvorín Workshop are leveled with the sidewalks to emphasize the idea of a community public space, which pierces through the block to connect with Av. Directorio.
Plaza Misericordia Sector
The same approach as the previous sector is applied, but between the blocks of the school and Plaza Misericordia. Lautaro and Camacúa streets become pedestrian-only in the area of the plaza and school. This sector is characterized by a more neighborhood-oriented, peaceful vibe, so programs for children and seniors are introduced, such as board games, meeting points, relaxation areas, nurseries, food or craft fairs, and open-air cinema.
