Chúuka’an: Activating Public places in grid settlements.

Abstract: Throughout the years, Mérida has been subject of an outstanding growth, economically, socially and spatially. Starting from being a major Mayan civilization city, to a colonial Spanish settlement that grew into being the capital of the peninsula, it has always gone through changes and innovations according to the necessities of its inhabitants. By being the most secure and safe city in Mexico today, there has been a substantial increase in migration to the peninsula. This gave the government and society the advantage of innovation and growth, welcoming new investments, both national and international. Mérida is now one of the leading cities in sustainable future design in the country, with big projects like the Mayan train, the IE tram, which is the first 100% electric transport route in the southeast of the country, and numerous commercial developments. The increase in migration, both from outside and within the city, comes with a plethora of housing developments. These promise the best quality of life, regardless of localization, users, vicinity and more important the disorganized urban sprawl it is creating. By putting the residential needs first, (prioritizing economic benefits), at some point in time the importance and use of public spaces became a secondary privilege, and the grid of the city became very individualized, creating the “apartment effect” in neighborhoods, with car prioritized streets and no public interaction. On a bigger scale, this opened the door for more problems; uncontrolled urban spread, decreased quality of life, major heatwaves, marginalization and neglected areas. This master’s degree project aims to relink the old neighborhoods of Mérida, which now face marginalization and abandonment. With the adaptation of new ways of transport, mixed used housing and commerce, combined with recreational and public spaces it jumpstarts a new sustainable way of living in a much less car centralized neighborhood, prioritizing always the needs of the user. Completing the circle of prosperity and quality of life that it promises to have, it shows that both big and small investments and changes can be made in any part of the city, specially where it needs the most.