In Santiago de Chile, in the summer of 2013, several streets were cut off due to the construction of new metro lines. 🚃 The intersection of Padre Alonso de Ovalle street and Arturo Prat, then started to be used by people as a car park. 🚗
This went on until October, when it was decided to intervene and squatte the square, one of the first in a series of interventions to reclaim space for the people. 💚 An underutilised space became an active square, opening debate on prioritising space for pedestrians, cyclists and local businesses.🌟
In less than 12 hours, the square was filled with paint and upcycled materials, with 250 transport parlettes acting as seats and 5000 plastic cups as an urban canopy. ♻️
This was possible thanks to the participation of citizens, who collaborated in the co-design, mobilisation and appropriation of the space.🤝 Social media was used to gather feedback and adjust the park accordingly, and to announce different recreational activities such as dancing.💃
This project was initiated and coordinated by @ciudademergente, with the collaboration of the @munistgo, platabanda, sustainable technology and the @arquitecturaudd, with the participation of more than 300 students. 💕
Although the project lasted only one month, it was expected to have a long-term impact on planning processes.💥 Surrounding businesses saw an increase in their clientele during this period.📈 Today, the junction houses a permanent square. The project managed to be replicated in other parts of the city and even in other countries.
Some lessons learned though were the need to improve communication so that it reached everyone, and to protect the square’s belongings, as some were stolen.
