CEMEX Building Award Mexico Series: A Truly Shared Street

July 13, 2015

The CEMEX Building Award is an initiative created and organized by CEMEX for the purpose of distinguishing the best in architecture and construction around the world. Each year, CEMEX has distinguished the best construction projects and all those people who have made these possible: architects, engineers, investors, and constructors. In this series, we recognize the winners of the 2014 Mexico edition.

Recovering public spaces is a global trend that has not escaped Mexico City, a great metropolis, as evidenced by a project at the heart of its very busy Historic Center.

Submitted under the title "Calle Compartida," which means Shared Street, the Calle 16 de Septiembre is a street that recently experienced a metamorphosis. Increasing pedestrian spaces by 40 percent not only augmented the flow of visitors – benefitting businesses in the area – but also earned the project the second place prize in the Urbanism Category of the 23rd Mexico edition of the CEMEX Building Award.

“This street, connecting the east and west sides of the downtown area of Mexico's capital, was equipped with walkways, ramps, speed reducers and landscaped areas, as well as lighting fixtures and benches,” explained Dhyana Quintanar Solares, General Coordinator of Mexico City’s Public Space Authority, the government agency that prepared the structural design for the project jointly with the Department of Mobility.

She further explained that "the purpose was to prove it was indeed possible to build a functional street where pedestrian and bicycle traffic would be protected and encouraged, without hindering motor vehicle access to a street that has historically been a commercial venue, dating back to pre-Hispanic times."

Upon completion, the number of pedestrians walking through reached 7,800 per day, a little more than twice the previous number, while the number of cyclists increased by 53 percent. Similarly, motor vehicle traffic has decreased by 45 percent, which means a lot less noise and pollution in this commercial corridor.

The renewed area, covering 11,500 square meters [123,000 square feet], has a universal design that makes it accessible for people in wheelchairs as well as for families with baby strollers. CEMEX was involved in the work of renovating this street, which has become a reference point for the capital's inhabitants in a very short time.

According to Quintanar Solares, projects like these can be replicated in other cities around the country to improve urban perception, inviting people to stroll or ride their bicycles in downtown streets. "Using concrete for vehicular traffic will guarantee durability and a decrease in maintenance costs in our projects,” she added.

CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries. CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through innovative building solutions, efficiency advancements, and efforts to promote a sustainable future.