Highlights

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This facility, Complejo Colibrí, is one of 1,267 public projects built during the tenure of former president Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), serving as material evidence of Mexico’s “Fourth Transformation” — the ruling party’s effort to make the country more equitable.

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Sitting on a 1.7-hectare site, the brutalist building — designed by the architecture firms G3 Arquitectos and Anonimous — houses classrooms, office spaces, and covered sports courts. Outside, an expansive promenade peppered with greenery and seating areas piques the curiosity of passersby and invites people to linger.

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“Revitalizing public space contributes to weaving back together the social fabric,

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By providing a flexible space where sports, education, and culture can converge, Complejo Colibrí is slowly filling the gaps left by previous administrations.

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This community center has been very helpful in dismantling some of the structures that have kept Tizayuca residents geographically segregated

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Because these projects are located in less affluent communities, local governments often lack the resources and expertise to run the new spaces effectively, leading to unexpected closures and disrepair. “I believe it’s very important that cities see public spaces as a means to foster people’s well-being,” Staines-Díaz says. “But not all support for this infrastructure has to come from the federal government; state and municipal governments can become involved too.”

✏️ A challenge and opportunity… the need to involve and incentivize and vitalize local government to take action and take care of things. 🔗 View Highlight

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“If you involve the community [and] consider the local resources, including people’s time and capacity, they will make a project their own.” This grassroots strategy for creating public spaces ensures that the community takes ownership of the projects and that the legacy of AMLO’s government lives on.

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