Mexico, one of the oldest cities located in what was Lake Texcoco, could become the largest urban park in the world. Mexico's prominent architect and landscape architect, Iñaki Echeverría would be in charge of the entire urban park project, which has been named the Ecological Park of Lake Texcoco. The plans of this urban park are very large and involve a lot of work.
Mexico City is based on Lake Texcoco, and the site of the project was the area where city residents built canals and levees for water drainage. In the process, the site for the wildlife-rich urban park has long been neglected until now. Therefore, Echeverría intends to consider the site as one of the most important green areas in Mexico, by restoring the natural vegetation of the area and also eliminating the risks of constant flooding of the city.
The Lake Texcoco Ecological Park covers more than 35,000 hectares, which is really huge compared to any other ecological park in the world as of now. Due to the immensity of the park, it can house a wide variety of facilities and infrastructures, all under one roof. Sports fields for the different types of sports, community gardens, museums, canoeing and water sports channels, mountain biking tracks and more, would be made available within the park facilities. There would also be separate tracks for walking, cycling along the public spaces for recreational activities. The project will also assume responsibilities such as reforestation, revegetation and the introduction of species that were once part of Mexican ecosystems.
With the use of sustainable materials, sustainable design and environmentally conscious efforts, Iñaki Echeverría is hopeful that this park will be an excellent example of green infrastructure for everyone. The natural availability of alternative energy sources such as wind energy, solar energy, bio-fuels from algae and waste found in the area, the thermo-fuel energy in abundance at the urban park site will be used to power the different activities of the park. The Lake Texcoco Ecological Park is a sincere effort to build a green site and once completed, it would set a benchmark for architects from other countries to follow.
FG_AUTHORS: Val Escobedo
