Are you against Zona Dorada too?

For the majority It seems inconceivable the city without cars and even with low-speed roadways; we have lived and many of us have born under the wrong paradigm that has risen the private vehicles to the highest link in mobility organization and transportation of people and goods in cities, even at the expense of the citizens themselves and clean mobility systems. Any attempt to change this situation seems an attack for our rights and of course a serious breach of our leaders to "limit" the development of our cities and the private sector to "privatize" spaces that belong to the population. With a completely opposite posture in the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, their inhabitants have reduce the impact of motor vehicles on his own hand and greatly increase the quality and standard of living. Beginning as isolated cases, it has become now a trend in major cities of the developed countries with amazing results. Given these realities, where are we?

Mexico is still quite backward in urban planning systems. The "structural reforms" of the current administration have not touched the territorial problems, as many experts had expected, so successful changes that have been made are reduced and with the private initiative resistance to maintain the current territorial structure, in part by misinformation and in part to maintain the privileges they consider "a winning" by increasing vehicular infrastructure. Intelligent transport systems and their respective transfer centers, the establishment of bike-roads, sidewalks amplification and crosswalks are seen as impositions to urban structures, and despite the benefits that most of the population has been favored especially those that "lives walking" the city, these benefits are overshadowed by a small group of privileged people who expect to get anywhere in a motor vehicle, looking for parking spaces in front of all shops and knowing the city only through the window of their cars, ignoring an environment that belongs to the majority of the population.

Vancouver, Canada
Low speed- vehicle street with large public spaces.

The Transpeninsular Highway has become over the years on a freeway as dictated the American Dream, a high-speed road listed among the most dangerous in the country which has gradually filled with both obsolete urban and architectural projects that very little respect the urban image and the amazing views we have, in order to meet our needs exclusively on a private vehicle. The increasingly large parking lots are paved with asphalt and deny space to any plant item that can give us shade and help the recovery of underground aquifers, getting bigger the problem of low rain in the area. Sarcastically, the American dream that offered us attractive suburbs away from the city is no longer the main housing model in the United States; contemporary development models and New Urbanism successfully displaced the traditional urban planning systems producing a movement that has been convincing people of the benefits in this process of "re-humanization" of cities; the documentary The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the collapse of The American Dream by Gregory Green, portrays a reality that many have wanted to hide without considering the detrimental effect of traditional zoning.

Hurricane Odile in Los Cabos has revived the international interest in this destination and both domestic and foreign people have not missed this opportunity to be part of a future that looks increasingly attractive to investment. New housing, tourist and business developments begin to appear throughout the destination under the same outdated principles that we now, areas for specific uses to which we access only by private vehicle and severely limit our consumption options within urban sprawl; housing clusters that give back to the city through large fences without internal trades favoring the development of the large transnationals and increasingly consolidate the township population as employees of big corporations, stifling any chance of development of micro, small and medium enterprises. Who is the user of these developments? For whom are made these "new" suburbs in Los Cabos? It seems that we want to sell to the richest people in the developed world a reality that they have abandoned over 30 years ago.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Pedesrian boardwalk with commercial uses and ocean view

In recent days there has been much talk in social networks about Zona Dorada Los Cabos, a range of comments arising from misinformation, no reliable sources to create any opinion or at least not adequately mentioned and have infected the population with a rejection of the project even without knowing it for real; under the idea of ​​avoiding the privatization of as many beaches and to reduce sea views from the road, it seems that the traditional model of planning that has tarnished the image of the destination is approved, even it has demanded dependence on motorized vehicles and benefited big multinationals over local investment. Years ago a similar situation arose in Puerto Vallarta for the generation of a pedestrian boardwalk on the beach; despite the disagreement of the population, the project was carried out according to the proposed interventions of private initiative and today is one of the most important urban accomplishments of this tourist destination, attracting large numbers of visitors and increasing tenants profits in the area. If the draft Zona Dorada Los Cabos will be designed as it was presented by Eduardo Sanchez Navarro, President of Grupo Questro Cabo Mil, the reality would be completely different to popular belief and the project would seek to offer a safer and humane alternative in Los Cabos as It was the boardwalk in Puerto Vallarta, but it is impossible for us to make a critical connection if this will arises again with disinformation; we invite the competent authorities and the private sector to make the appropriate forums for communication and participation for dissemination and knowledge.

Vancouver, Canada
Pedestrian corridor in the bay with spacious public and meeting spaces 

From a New Urbanist view, what do we expect from this development? Certainly rehumanization city is a vital task that must generate all the inhabitants of Los Cabos but thinking holistically at all the people and not only in tourism, that is, provide a development that not only generates luxury shops for luxury visitors but a wide range of shops and living spaces for all people, locals and tourists, offering investment opportunities to every citizen without closed preserved power to big investors. Is it wise to reduce the impact of private vehicles? Of course! But taking actions that encompass the different systems of mobility: stools and comfortable pedestrian routes, cycle paths and roads in preference to optimal alternative systems, public transportation systems that benefit workers and visitors alike and transfer centers where no cars are omitted but parking spaces and better mobility alternatives are provided. A space that promotes environmental improvement through cleaner buildings and respect the urban image of Los Cabos as recognized internationally. In short, with real sustainability.

With this project or not, the necessity of a road that move high speed vehicular traffic seems not only laudable but inevitable as it contains the adequate design strategies and regulations that consider the appropriate design avoiding viewing as a bypass even more insecure than the existing road, with the accurate count of road capacity for proper sizing and the right regulations to prevent the establishment of peripheral developments that beyond benefit the urban area and its inhabitants, could generate new development poles for future investors and end with the same problem we expect this project to solve as it has been in the peripheral roads of the main cities of our country.

With this project or not, a road for vehicle traffic that vent high speed seems not only laudable but inevitable (as it is considered in the actual planning) but with the design, strategies and regulations to enable a design and dimensioning according to the existing road capacity and preventing it to become a new pole of development for investors and present in the near future the same problems it has today as has unfortunately happened in peripheral and warrants of the biggest cities in our country.

Finally, we believe in the integration of cameras, schools and educational institutions but also of independent professionals and the general population to this development, presenting the same information and conducting appropriate participatory forums according to the regulations. The opening of information in a transparent and democratic manner certainly would clear any doubts and will also bring a local vision of great value, allowing all private investment to participate in it, avoiding any ill-founded suspicion and opening dialogue between different stakeholders.

Atlixco, Puebla
Pedestrian historic center with active-commercial ground floor and meeting spaces

We write this article hoping that our authorities act with legality, transparency and professionalism that they not only have but we all requires them and the private sector project promoters provide adequate participation forums seeking recognition of population, eliminating all impositions and violation of the rights of citizenship which have been surrounded by large number of developments not only in Los Cabos but in the rest of the country. While everyone informed and convinced of the prosperous and inclusive future we want for Los Cabos, we can work together toward a common goal.

JPV