A Complete Street design approach for Oaxaca, Mexico

Steer was commissioned by the Oaxaca State Government in Mexico to undertake a review of the challenges facing access to public transport and to prepare concept designs for a demonstration complete street project. 

We reviewed the existing conditions within the historic city centre, the business district and linkages to key destinations outside the city core to identify six potential pilot project areas. Through an intense series of stakeholder workshops, a project area was defined that contained some of the key challenges that face the city. These include the integration of a bus priority scheme and cycle network into an existing arterial road without adversely impacting on existing businesses and landscape assets.

The project area also provided the opportunity to look at how the connectivity between the State University Campus and the historic centre could be enhanced to encourage walking and cycling across main roads and through adjacent residential areas. 

Working closely with local stakeholders we prepared design options for a 500 metre length of the street to demonstrate how the spatial arrangements for different transit and public realm priorities could vary. The preferred option was designed in greater detail to show how enhanced facilities for walking, cycling and transit could be integrated into the street and where improved public realm would support adjacent land uses and activities.