- Neighbors from the Constituyentes de Querétaro neighborhood in San Nicolás de los Garza and the San Gilberto neighborhood in Santa Catarina, painted pedestrian crossings and sidewalk extensions on the streets of their community in order to have a safer environment for children and their families.
- These two tactical urban planning interventions focused on considering the perspective of children and their caregivers were organized by Movimiento de Activación Ciudadana A.C. and FEMSA Foundation.
Monterrey, Nuevo León, December 13, 2021.- In order to have more livable streets that help to recover the human scale of our neighborhoods and build cities that are friendlier and safer for children, neighbors, artists and students carried out a tactical urban planning intervention and painted murals in Constituyentes de Querétaro neighborhood in San Nicolás de los Garza and in San Gilberto neighborhood in Santa Catarina.
The first of these two interventions, which was that of the Constituyentes de Querétaro neighborhood, took place on Thursday, December 2 and Friday, December 3. Called by the Movimiento de Activación Ciudadana A.C. association and FEMSA Foundation, dozens of residents gathered at the roundabout on Calle D. Enrique Suárez to paint safe pedestrian crossings for children and sidewalk extensions for vehicles to slow down when turning.
Only a few meters away from the intervened area there is a primary school and a kindergarten, to which most of the girls and boys walk to; Movac pointed out that having safe infrastructure in these spaces is vital because traffic events are the leading cause of death nationwide for the population aged 1 to 14 years. “We have to remember that girls and boys are also street users and that they have the right to the city and to cross streets safely whether to go to school or to the park. To guarantee that right, it is urgent to have safe streets. With this experiment we want to show that the streets can be much safer for everyone with some slight adjustments”, said Luisa Peresbarbosa, Director of Movac.
The second intervention took place last Thursday, December 9 and Friday, December 10 in San Gilberto neighborhood. It was carried out on San Juan de los Lagos street, where vehicles circulate at high speed, according to the Hello Cities urban planning agency in a road diagnosis, in which they also indicated a high influx of pedestrians due to the proximity of two primary schools and a health center. The street redesign proposal created by the organizations was complemented with the experiences of the people who live in the sector through participatory workshops for children and neighborhood meetings.
“At FEMSA Foundation we know that the future is being built today and we are convinced that investing in early childhood is one of the best ways to build more prosperous societies with more justice and equality. When there are more children and families in public spaces, our cities become safer and healthier environments for everyone, “said Eva Fernández Garza, Manager of Social Investment in Early Childhood at FEMSA Foundation.
At the Constituyentes de Querétaro neighborhood, the street painting was designed by local artists Daphne Palomo and Daniela Huerta, who also made two murals on site to raise awareness about the importance of protecting pedestrian rights. At San Gilberto neighborhood on the other hand, teacher Jesús Kollyadem, who is also a resident of Santa Catarina, was in charge of giving color to the project. The graphic artist designed the patterns of the street painting and also made a mural in Plaza San Juan, located a few meters from the intervened intersection.
The collaboration between the community and the public, private and social sectors is key to achieving a greater impact in favor of children and their families. Imagining cities from the point of view of children means an increase in their development opportunities and it also guarantees their rights to live in an equitable and peaceful society.
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Press Contact
Jaziel Avila, Teléfono: 8117867967, Correo: hola@movac.mx
Movac is a non-profit civil association that works with citizens, authorities, companies and educational institutions to save lives by reducing road incidents.
About FEMSA Foundation
In FEMSA Foundation our goal is to create positive impacts on people and communities through social investment projects for sustainability. We make a better future for all by working in three strategic areas: the promotion of efficient resource management for sustainable development, the promotion of the integral development of early childhood and the dissemination of Latin American art and culture. For more information, visit us at www.fundacionfemsa.org or follow us on Facebook (/ FundacionFEMSA) and Twitter (@FundacionFEMSA).
