Public Space

Between 2015 and 2021, Carlos M. Hernández served as Creative Chief and Director of the Public Space Projects Office at the Guadalajara City Hall. During this period, he had the opportunity to collaborate on more than a hundred public space recovery projects of various scales.

The street is the basic unit of public spaces, as it weaves together the routes and encounters that shape our city. For this reason, we promote projects that restore priority to People.

Given the lack of public spaces in already consolidated areas of the municipality, the Public Space Projects Office of Guadalajara has driven the recovery or creation of public spaces in residual areas of the urban fabric, leading to the development of various pocket parks. These interventions allow us to gain, among other things, permeable areas of less than 500 square meters. Spaces previously underutilized by cars and asphalt are now transformed into parks and human-scale, friendly areas. A children’s play module was specifically designed with five activities (sliding, swinging, drawing, hanging, climbing), using simple and flexible structures that can be replicated in parks across the city.

This series of interventions focuses on various objectives, such as fostering identity, strengthening recreational and social gathering spaces, increasing green and permeable areas, and enhancing social cohesion, urban image, accessibility, and pedestrian safety. These efforts align with UN policies on Sustainable and Safe Cities, municipal policies for youth, recreational areas for children, and inclusive streets, buildings, and parks with a gender perspective. Each intervention is designed in a participatory manner with local residents, considering the specific needs of each neighborhood.