The pedestrian spaces of the Las Residentas Roundabout were often invisible, in poor condition and occupied by vehicles as alternative lanes or parking. The proposal presented by the "UrbTac" team, made up of students and teaching professionals from the Architecture and Urban Planning degree at the National University of Asunción, proposes tactical urban planning actions promoting citizen participation and the use of sustainable means of mobility.
Problems and Objective
The pedestrian spaces of the Las Residentas Roundabout were often made invisible, in poor condition and occupied by vehicles as alternative lanes or parking, contrary to the regulations established by the Vice Ministry of Traffic. This situation was particularly dangerous considering the proximity of the Fernando de la Mora Cemetery, a kindergarten and the EMD Dr. Fernando de la Mora National School, as well as small businesses. Municipal technicians pointed out the area as problematic, especially considering that the maximum speed in school zones is only 20 kilometers per hour. The objective of both the initiative and the Calle Idea contest, where it was presented, was to maximize pedestrian rights by improving their access, permanence and use of public space, supporting road safety by equitably distributing space among all street users: pedestrians, cyclists, public transport and motorists, allowing the recovery and revitalization of public spaces. [1]
It is a gradual and coordinated process that is expected to connect with other actions to be implemented, such as the improvement of public transport, improvement of sidewalks and pedestrianization of civil spaces.
Background and Context
Tactical urban planning is a simple urban transformation formula that allows changing how a space is used with temporary and cheaper elements, without major road works. It is based on temporary and reversible, affordable and agile actions, such as colored areas, urban furniture, gardens or games painted on the floor, which can be easily modified if adjustments are needed. [two]
The Municipality of Fernando de la Mora identified critical areas in the Las Residentas roundabout, taking into account the poor existing signage, the excessive speed of vehicles and the confusion of users about the directions of use. However, the area was prioritized over other busier ones in order not to hinder the general flow of vehicles, maintaining the idea of developing an emblematic point that is easily recognized by the public.
In the case of the Rotonda Las Residentas, it is a 5-arm intersection with a commemorative monument in the center, primary access roads to the North Zone of the city. Its key location makes it an intersection with high pedestrian traffic and with the circulation of several public transport lines in the area.
Organizing, support and financing entities
The proposal presented by the "UrbTac" team, made up of students and teaching professionals from the Architecture and Urbanism degree at the National University of Asunción, was one of the winners of the Calle Idea initiative , a sustainable intervention contest open to the public and based on on the theme of tactical urban planning, which aims to generate improvements in the management of urban, vehicular and pedestrian traffic, promote citizen participation and the use of sustainable means of mobility. [3]
It is part of the “Asunción Green City of the Americas – Pathways to Sustainability” project, led by the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES) and implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in conjunction with other institutions, with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and national counterpart. In this particular case, it also received support from the Municipality of Fernando de la Mora and private institutions. [4]
Recruitment and Selection of Participants
The project was socialized through different channels to include as many residents of the area as possible. The team distributed flyers house by house to the different neighbors surrounding the intervention, as an invitation to dialogue and exchange. The invitation was also made within a highly influential Facebook group in Fernando de la Mora, shared by WhatsApp in neighborhood groups and through talks in schools in the area, as well as to present the project and invite the residents of the area. to participate. Likewise, neighborhood meetings and participatory workshops were held in the Municipality of Fernando de la Mora to adjust details, present budgetary details and complementary information aimed at satisfying the concerns of the residents of the area, solving the most frequent problems and guaranteeing the process transparency. The meetings were held with the participation of all the parties involved, including the Municipality of Fernando de la Mora, the Traffic Directorate and the EMD Dr. Fernando de la Mora National College. [5]
This socialization also allowed contact with brands, drawing their attention and generating commitment to them.for the implementation of the project and the maintenance of the area, such as a paint brand that offered material to paint the areas.
Information was also collected about the neighborhood, the most pressing problems and the behavioral habits of the residents of the area through digital questionnaires disseminated through virtual platforms and the WhatsApp messaging application. The development of the project in real time was available on the Instagram account @tava_rape.
Before the implementation of the project, there was a space for questions and answers through a live streaming presentation.
Methods and Tools used
Collective participation and citizen contributions (crowdsourcing) occurred mainly through georeferences, taking into account the importance of the opinion of the residents of the area, who are the ones who best know its challenges. The information was collected in a mixed way, using both virtual surveys distributed by digital means and participatory workshops and house-to-house socialization of the project. In addition, the degree work "Design of a road solution to the traffic problem of the intersection of Las Residentas and Coronel Franco streets in the city of Fernando de la Mora" carried out by students of the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción was taken as a reference framework to develop the interventions. [6]
What Happened: Process, Interaction and Participation
The project was developed in 4 stages: 1st: Socialization and citizen participation workshops, 2nd: Assembly of equipment, such as traffic signs, concrete tubes that, in addition to providing vegetation and shade, fulfill the function of channeling vehicular traffic and as protection barrier for people, in addition to a tensile structure that will provide shade to the intervened area and concrete benches, 3rd: Recreational painting works and horizontal traffic signaling paintings, and 4th: Use and appropriation of the space by part of the citizenry and subsequent measurement of the uses of the intervention. This contribution is aimed at Sustainable Development Goal number 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, which seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, optimizing the safety of citizens.
Frequent problems in the area and collective concerns were also identified in the citizen consultation, especially with regard to security, accessibility, transparency and the budget, which were addressed from a collective perspective with all the institutions and actors involved.
At the time of implementation of the project, volunteers from the area helped with different tasks such as painting the place, which fulfilled a multipurpose function delimiting spaces, illustrating the culture of the place with graphic representations of youth, emblematic for the city, and referring to institutions in the area, such as a representative mural. Likewise, other neighbors approached to give suggestions, collaborate, evaluate the progress of the work and commit to maintaining the area with other care tasks, such as touch-ups, painting and gardening.
Influence, Results and Effects
The implementation of the project involves different actions of tactical urban planning, such as the installation of lighting, furniture and urban gardens, improvement of sidewalks, delimitation of pedestrian crossings and recreation areas allowing residents to take ownership of the area and develop community activities changing the vision vehicle-oriented city planning prioritizing people-oriented planning.
One of the immediate consequences of the urban improvement proposal was a safe and clearly defined space for pedestrians and cyclists, including waiting areas and pedestrian crossings, reducing the risk of accidents and increasing visibility, avoiding the transgression of traffic rules and confusion of spaces.
However, the measure to reduce vehicular space generated claims among drivers for the rethinking of the roundabout, for which the Municipal Police of Fernando de la Mora was located in the area to support circulation and reinforce compliance with traffic regulations. traffic in the new transit zones the reduction of the lane.
On the other hand, Fernandino neighbors, especially the youngest, signed up to collaborate with the maintenance and beautification of the space. This is a great opportunity to stimulate the population to get involved in more public governance initiatives and in the planning of their own cities.
Analysis and Lessons Learned
Despite the acceptance of the residents of the area, the implementation of this tactical urban planning strategy generated multiple complaints from other users of the Las Residentas roundabout, arguing that its influence on the volume of traffic in the area had not been estimated, which began to generate traffic jams in key hours and areas of the city of Fernando de la Mora and that affected vehicular traffic on surrounding roads. They claim that a popular consultation was not carried out that included them and that they could not express their opinion in this regard, for which it could be considered for future interventions to include other users of the roundabout in participatory workshops and data collection strategies so that feel heard, socialize the project and can also take ownership of the project and enjoy the city. [7]
The municipality of Fernando de la Mora has 183,390 inhabitants and is adjacent to Asunción, so its access and exit routes are hot spots for vehicular traffic. It also has access and exit routes from and to other large cities in the metropolitan area, such as Lambaré, Villa Elisa, San Lorenzo and Luque.
Likewise, there is room to establish communication resources, opening communication channels with the community in order to educate and raise awareness about the positive impact of tactical urban planning projects, the prioritization of pedestrians and the importance of road safety and availability of public spaces.
The enthusiasm of the community gives rise to the implementation of other tactical urban planning interventions in different locations, putting people at the center of urban planning and generating spaces that they can enjoy and care for, promoting community life and conceiving cities that are friendlier and more sustainable.
See also
References
[1] Urban interventions by winners of the Calle.Idea contest are inaugurated. IP Agency Paraguay. Retrieved on June 20, 2022 from https://www.ip.gov.py/ip/inauguraron-las-interventions-urbanas-de-los-ganadores-del-concurso-calle-idea/
[2] Tactical urban planning: a key element in post-pandemic recovery. UN Habitat. Retrieved on June 20, 2022 from https://onuhabitat.org.mx/index.php/urbanismo-tactico-elemento-clave-en-la-recuperacion-post-pandemia#:~:text=El%20urbanismo%20t %C3%A1ctic%20is%20a%20improvement%20of%20the%20slots.
[3] Calle.Idea Contest rewards 7 tactical urban planning interventions. United Nations Development Program. Retrieved on June 20, 2022 from https://www.undp.org/es/paraguay/press-releases/concurso-calleidea-premia-7-interventions-de-urbanism-t%C3%A1ctico
[4] Contest of Sustainable Interventions of the Metropolitan Area of Asunción Calle.Idea. Retrieved on June 20, 2022 from https://calleidea.wenda.org.py/Calle_Idea_Bases_y_Condiciones.pdf
[5] In Fernando de la Mora they seek to recover public space with tactical urbanism. Ministry of Urban Planning, Housing and Habitat. Retrieved from https://www.muvh.gov.py/blog/2022/en-fernando-de-la-mora-buscan-recuperar-espacio-publico-con-urbanismo-tactico.html
[6] They designed a road solution to the traffic problem at the intersection of Las Residentas and Coronel Franco streets in the city of Fernando de la Mora. Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción. Retrieved on June 20, 2022 from http://www.ing.una.py/?p=49312
[7] Pedestrian walk in Fernando: designers justify work despite questions from motorists. ABC Color Diary. Retrieved on June 20, 2022 from https://www.abc.com.py/nacionales/2022/06/17/paseo-peatonal-en-fernando-proyectistas-justifican-obra-pese-a-cuestionamientos-de- motorists/
external links
https://calleidea.wenda.org.py/
Grades
Tava Rape: "The way of the people", in Guarani.