North Guadalupe Public Realm
A design charrette on the strategic and creative design opportunities of an important urban corridor
October 2017
Our design charrette was prompted by the City of Santa Fe’s plans to implement traffic and safety improvements for the North Guadalupe Street between Paseo de Peralta and West Alameda Street. Our design brief asked the architecture and design community to develop a comprehensive vision for the entire North Guadalupe public realm - traffic, landscape, pedestrian space and future building development.
Five provocative design proposals were presented to a panel that included city engineer David Quintana, gallerist and neighborhood stakeholder Sandy Zane, and Friends of Architecture Santa Fe board members. City councillors Renee Villerreal and Mike Harris attended the event and participated in a wide-ranging and productive discussion about the current and future needs of residents, visitors, and businesses in this district.
2017 North Guadalupe Charrette Presenters
A design that reclaims public green space from parking lots and building setbacks, and proposes new outdoor uses that enhance public-facing businesses
A stormwater reclamation strategy that recharges ground water resources, greens public space, mitigates heat island effect and reduces the carbon emissions that cause climate change
Conrad Skinner, AIA
A vertical urban farm celebrates the intersection at Paseo de Peralta as a primary gateway to the city
Diverting north/south vehicle traffic to St. Francis allows the right-of-way to become a public park and housing, restoring east-west neighborhood connections and uniting the city’s network of green spaces
DeVargas Mall has the potential to become the city’s third public square after the Plaza and Railyard, re-orienting vehicle parking and access to the city’s pedestrian environment through signage, landscape, and high-tech wayfinding