Barrilaco Ravine Restoration
Aligning fractured governance to restore 74 acres of urban ecology
Challenge
Barrilaco Ravine —a 74-acre urban ecosystem in Mexico City—had become an illegal dumping ground and crime hotspot. By 2010, disagreement among eight governing authorities left the space abandoned and dangerous. Night use was forbidden; daytime use recommended only for men with dogs. The problem wasn’t lack of resources—agencies had budgets but no coordination or shared vision.
Approach
We developed a two-phase strategy to align fractured governance and activate community stewardship:
Phase 1 - Master Plan (with arquitectura 911sc): Created a shared vision that aligned eight government agencies’ priorities and budgets around ecological restoration.
Phase 2 - Implementation Plan (with Sustrato): Built community capacity to advocate for the project and become active stewards. We facilitated neighbor-agency partnerships and structured phased implementation that could survive political transitions.
Impact
Barrilaco transformed from forbidden space to thriving urban ecosystem. New bird species returned, and residents now use and maintain the ravine as shared green infrastructure.
Barrilaco’s governance approach informed a region-wide initiative to reclaim northwestern Mexico City’s ravine network.
Neighbors lead ongoing improvements, proving the sustainability of community-driven stewardship.
My Role
Project Manager (arquitectura 911 and Sustrato)
Team
Marcela Alvarez, Beatriz Laviada, Sustrato, a|911, Blancavall, Alcaldia Miguel Hidalgo, Water (CONAGUA), Environment (SEMARNAT and SEDEMA), Housing (SEDUVI)
Awards
Innovation in Democracy by CDMX Electoral College 2017
Press
Reforma Newspaper, Milenio 2015, video by Sustrato
CDMX 2010-2017