The Green Line: Social Development Comprehensive Plan (La Línea Verde)

Background Information

The aim of the Linea Verde Project is to provide quality public space that contributes to enhancing the community life of more than 300,000 inhabitants in some of the poorest areas of the city. The project is a social platform enabling people to improve their health and take part in leisure activities. It also seeks to help in the fight to eradicate domestic violence, drug addiction, as well as provide training for jobs, culture and arts, improve human rights, and empower people to manage their own communities. Our vision is to create 12-kilometer-long stretch of land dedicated to the improvement of the quality of life of the most deprived residents of the city.

Goals of the Initiative

Main goal:

To establish a social and urban mechanism that provides a sustainable environment and financially viable project for poor communities in the city.

Aims:

•To contribute to the governance of the poorest areas in the city;

•To promote the appropriation of the public space for enhancing the social fabric among the residents of the area;

•To achieve a long-term sustainable and financially viable project;

•To enhance the self-community management among residents to guarantee the continuity of the project based on a feasible working agenda;

•To improve the health of people through physical activation in public spaces.

Parties and Partners to the Initiative and Resources Used for Implementation

Public: the Municipal Government of Aguascalientes as the project leader; the Federal Government throughout their ministries by funding parts of the project; the State Government by donating some plots along the Linea Verde to the Municipal Government.

Private: different companies helping to fund small aspects of the project

The resources used for implementing the initiative include:

The Linea Verde is mainly funded by municipal funds and programs directed towards the most in-need in the city. The agencies working on the social agenda invest in the program which is coordinated by the Municipal Planning Institute. Federal agencies contribute funding to parts of the project, such as areas assigned for sports and recreation, including boxing gyms, skate parks, and running paths. This year, total investment has reached 500 million Mexican Pesos ($38 million).

Innovation for the Initiative

The initiative is revolutionary in different aspects: first, it incorporated restricted areas along 12 kilometers due to an existing gas pipeline. This is the first time in Mexico that the national oil company (PEMEX) has allowed any organization to build something in their restricted areas. Second, it is revolutionary in Mexico in implementing pocket parks in such a long perimeter -- providing similar quality in each segment of the project in terms of the facilities provided. Third, a water pipeline was built along with the project that uses water from nearby treatment water plants. In this way, it enables a city with tremendous water problems to carry out this program in a large area at a low cost.

As a comprehensive project, innovation has come in different aspects, from planning, urban, social, environmental, cultural, and leisure. Due to an intensive participation of public organizations, the impact of the innovation is not limited to one aspect, but relates to the way people live in their neighborhood and how they relate to each other in a more community-driven way.

The Linea Verde was inspired from similar initiatives in South America, particularly in Colombia and Brazil. Mayor Martinez visited these countries and had several meetings with officials running their projects. Linea Verde is much larger than similar projects in these countries and it is expected to be replicated in other cities in Mexico. Some local governments have already visited Aguascalientes with whom we have shared our experiences on this project.