Audi City, a model of a planned urban growth
The automaker Audi has selected the town of San José Chiapa, in the Mexican state of Puebla, for their new plant. Up to 150,000 vehicles a year will be produced at the plant which will be spread over some 600 hectares. This project will boost not just employment but also the tradition of the region as a car producer, increasing its economic competitiveness and making it attractive to other companies in the value chain.
Currently, the region lacks an urban centre with the characteristics required for the growth that will be generated by the new plant, an estimated 20,000 and 5,000 houses. Therefore, the Government of Puebla has commissioned IDOM to develop a Master Plan for the design of a new city: The City Model.
Our firm has proposed, in a first phase, allocating 150 hectares to resolving the demand for housing and amenities. We are designing a city which is safe and liveable, promoting socio-economic integration and cultural diversity, an urban fabric whose density favours a variety of uses and eco-mobility (more than 70% of movement can be made on foot, by bicycle or using public transport).
The amenities and specialized services of the new city, for example, the two new universities, will increase the regional offer and consolidate the city as a creative city where knowledge and innovation are closely linked to the productive tradition.
In addition, IDOM has been working on the development of a Regional Ecological Management Program (PROE), a Sub-regional Land Management Program, and a Metropolitan Plan. The objective of this work is to regulate and induce land use and the productive activity in the region, working towards sustainable development which is compatible with environmental protection.
