The Mexicana

Mission

To provide visitors with the best park experience. To operate with the highest security and maintenance standards. To offer a variety of spaces and programs, including recreational, cultural and sporting events.

Vision

To be a metropolitan park of the highest standards, one that is free to the public and encompasses a social duty; a gathering point for recreation, culture and sports that encourages a love for nature and appreciation of beauty.

History

LA MEXICANA takes its name from one of the two sand mines that formerly occupied the park grounds. Once the sand extraction ended, the mines were expropriated by the government and years later repurposed for a housing project that included building nearly 12k houses.

In light of the lack of public spaces, green areas and public services, the residents of the area asked the government to build a metropolitan park.
After a decade of neighborhood management and negotiation, in 2016, an agreement with the government of Mexico City was reached. The agreement consisted of the sale of 30% of the total land to developers and, with the resources generated, the park would be built on the remaining 70%. The available construction density decreased from 12,000 to 1,650 homes.

The Mexico City government granted a concession to the Asociación de Colonos de Santa Fe to operate and maintain the public park with self-generated resources.

This means that the park does not require public funding and is sustainable through its own income. Admission is free.

Designed by architects Mario Schjetnan and Victor Marquez, the park was built in 13 months and inaugurated on November 24, 2017. The Acoustic Shell was designed by architect Omar Saad and donated to the park. So far, 20 of the 28 hectares of land have been built; the remaining hectares are currently under construction.

The park’s design features a main thoroughfare and the creation of several areas dedicated to specific activities: children’s playgrounds, gardens, a skatepark, an off-leash dog park, a gourmet terrace, lakes and an amphitheater.
A commitment to the environment is an ongoing priority. Drinking water consumption is minimal; it is only used for sinks and drinking fountains.

The park uses rainwater or treated water for irrigation, cleaning, and toilets. There is a 24,000 cubic meter cistern for storing rainwater during the rainy season, or treated water during the dry season. Rainwater is collected through the bio-trench that runs throughout the park and is stored in the cistern.

The green areas are the park’s main feature: more than 2,500 trees, 70,000 square meters of grass for all kinds of activities including picnics, 80,000 shrubs – most of them pollinators – and 40,000 square meters of ground cover on slopes.

La Mexicana receives more than two million visitors a year, 30% of whom are children.

It also has free cultural, sports and social programs open to the public.