THE BOULEVARD OF SABANA GRANDE. A kilometre and a half, plus 23 intersecting streets with human heritage value, the rehabilitation project of which managed to generate empowerment for everyone in the city of Caracas
The public space is characterised by being social, collective and general. It is the space where activity can always be found, that never closes, that does not have a schedule. It is the relational area, that does not impose itself, where the collective reigns over individual interests. The place where we are all equal.
In today’s cities, with their bland façades, timeless characters, emergency sirens and nervous horns, interaction between the inhabitants is almost non-existent.
The highways are imposing; and the human being ceases to be, becoming a machine that drives from one side to the other. Now, also, with a mobile speaker that keeps them “connected” to the virtual world.
Therefore, the rehabilitation of the Boulevard of Sabana Grande in Caracas, which is more than just a space, involved the materialisation of the meeting place, a space for walking, for the contemplative connection to other destinations, for children’s games and for ice cream.
Precisely with the aim of prioritising the pedestrian, the participation of communities, the enjoyment of quality and permanent cultural events, on the Boulevard of Sabana Grande, the urban node of Caracas, the hub of arrival from the periphery, a line transfer point on the Caracas Metro and an office and business centre, we developed the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Project thereof in our capacity as the General Management of PDVSA LA ESTANCIA (2004–2014).
Once our work left the walls of our main headquarters, to rehabilitate; first, the Caracas Sphere by Jesús Soto, an icon of our city; then, one by one, the works of public art of the Plaza Venezuela and its Fountain, when we encountered the evident liberation of the Boulevard in January 2007 from the hundreds of informal economy stalls that were clogging the streets in a disorderly way and with the sale of the most unusual items and preventing communication; we proposed to initiate an ambitious and great project for its rehabilitation.
BEFORE — 2006
Thus, with our customary methodical work system, we began in February 2007 with the Comprehensive Assessment “in situ” of the following aspects, to be completed in June 2007: the history of the boulevard; the number of passers-by, vehicles, inhabitants, trees, offices, shops, public and protected buildings; the status of public services, the environment, visual clutter; identification of free land, urban load, fundamental urban variables; and, above all, the communities and surrounding community councils, as well as, the exchange with them, to learn of their needs, desires and intention to participate.
BEFORE — 2007
Under the indicated Assessment, from July to September 2007, we prepared and conducted a National Ideas Competition, to receive proposals from architects, urban planners and sociologists, regarding the use of space and the best format of community integration. The Hoyo de Las Delicias Neighbourhood was included therein, with the intention of incorporating it into the urban fabric of our city.
We concluded that, we would implement the project within 135 days, a term that we not only fulfilled, but that we even managed to reduce.
We began the First Stage of the LED Lighting project for the Boulevard within a month and a half, from October to November 2007, and while we were carrying out the emergency work, which was a consequence of the state that the space was in, as well as the implementation thereof, which involved the renewal of wiring and manhole covers and the replacement and increase of poles depending on the type of user (vehicle or pedestrian), all from October to November 2007.
We used the slogan ¨SABANA GRANDE SHINES FOR YOU¨ for the implementation of the lighting, always with the intention of promoting the sense among users of belonging within the space.
With the implementation of this first stage of illumination, we saw an almost immediate reduction by 50% of the insecurity on the Boulevard as a result.
From 7 December 2007 to April 2008, we proceeded to perform the asphalting of the streets and intersecting streets, as well as, the Solano and Casanova Avenues. This was generally performed during night hours in order to avoid discomfort.
At the same time (October to November 2007), large and high quality litter bins were placed on the Boulevard for the first time. All in conjunction with a rubbish recycling programme, in accordance with international ecological standards and beneficial to the environment. With this, in addition to guaranteeing the sustainability of the space from the beginning, we also sought to generate citizen awareness among users.
The second phase of the illumination, for the 23 intersecting streets, was characterised by the use of high pressure sodium vapour lamps; and, consisted of 120 pedestrian or roadway street lighting poles, as appropriate, with a height of 7 metres and a power of 250 watts each, 2,600 metres of wiring and 2,400 metres of channels with their respective drainage vaults.
It also included the illumination of the Hoyo de Las Delicias neighbourhood, with 36 double-arm (pedestrian) street light poles, with the aforementioned characteristics.
All of this, and the Competition, the approaches of the communities and the Assessment in particular, were the starting point to be able to draft the Terms of Reference for the implementation of the Project, which were reviewed and their compliance monitored by the group of experts that we called the “Project High Committee”, composed of 5 very high-level professionals, professors and one of them, a National Architecture Prize winner.
In view of the above, we managed to develop a project comprised of the following sub-projects:
paved surface;
street furniture;
landscaping;
shading system;
mobility;
inclusion of people with visual and motor disabilities;
street art;
visual messages.
The prerequisites for the project were:
· It had to be developed within the 90 thousand existing square metres of the Boulevard.
· It took the daily presence of up to 300 thousand people, and 55 thousand people in each of the rush hours as a starting point.
· It would run from North to South, including the Hoyo De Las Delicias neighbourhood.
· It would give absolute priority to the pedestrian.
· It would incorporate devices for people with visual and motor disabilities.
· It would promote the historical memory of the area, protecting: the heritage buildings (which should be indicated), the paving stones (although with a new design), the heritage signage and the customs.
· The lighting must be economical.
· All public services would be renewed and optimised.
· The work would be performed in sections, and the construction area of each work would be bounded and marked in accordance with the best Industrial Safety practices.
· The communities and the general public would be informed about the start and completion of each of the works, complying strictly with the pre-established deadlines.
· High quality signage would be included and in accordance with international parameters.
· The people of the community would be included in all the works.
· 100 students from the Ribas Mission would be included to verify the quality of each paving stone.
· The use of the public space and pavements by the locals would be regulated (demolishing illegal works).
· Free “wifi” would be placed.
· There would be a totally free route left for escape and security, leaving 60 metres at the exit of the metro without any obstacles, as required by industrial safety regulations.
· The underground packing of all the wiring would be performed to eliminate the loose wires or those badly stuck to a wall.
· Pre-established walkways and levelling would be established to prevent the formation of puddles, extending such work to Avenida Casanova, where the water accumulation problem was identified in the Assessment and led to the absurdity that the entry doors of the businesses had a step to prevent the passage of water. If this issue was not resolved, it would affect the Boulevard.
· Domestic water and gas supplies would be provided to the buildings that lacked them, having identified their absence in our Comprehensive Assessment.
· Every step that was taken, must be reviewed by the High Committee of Experts and obviously, approved by the communities.
· Compliance by each of the businesses with the rules of maximum load, extraction system and litter bins would be reviewed.
· The agencies of the State providing services would participate in follow-up meetings to avoid contraindications.
· The devices permitted would be citizen education themed and made with the best aesthetics and quality.
· Every element used to beautify the area, must be kept in impeccable condition, or otherwise, must be removed.
· All work must be characterised by its high quality, both in the materials used and in its implementation.
· The street furniture must be innovative and of high quality and technology.
· The design of the Boulevard had to be novel and welcoming.
Thus, the pavement was the product of the incorporation of one of the winning ideas of the National Ideas Competition, developed under the terms previously indicated for it. The paving stones must be maintained, as a tribute to those that had been placed when the boulevard was originally created, made for the first and only time, with the construction of the Caracas Metro, in 1983. These would generate a game of colours and kinetic art that would unite the different stretches into one whole, the main route of the Boulevard being a kilometre and a half in length.
As part of the placement of the paving stones, a continuous line of tiles would be installed to guide people with visual disabilities. The pedestrianisation of the Boulevard would favour its use by people with motor problems.
The street furniture would be comprised of pieces of the highest quality, built with the best materials and technology, to guarantee its sustainability. When we refer to street furniture, we mean benches (with a capacity for 10 people and made of a material that does not absorb heat), drains, tree pits, bollards, deterrents, hanging plants, “cat’s eyes”, cement tables with chairs, tables and awnings for outdoor cafes, litter bins, the awnings and tables of the weekly market, health appliances, recreational and children’s play equipment, giant letters for climbing, fun characters made of steel for interaction with passers-by. The kiosks would be replaced by smaller and more functional ones.
The shading system would consist of small plazas formed by textile covers, which would form a microclimate to privilege pedestrians, so that they could be protected from environmental factors. The largest such area, for example, would consist of 6 structures or tensioners of 6 metres each, placed at different heights, i.e., at 3 and 6 metres. The water would be collected as if they were trees, hence their tree-top shape, and it would flow down the trunk so as not to cause puddles. In total, 6 small plazas would be built. These structures would be illuminated and most would have speakers that would play music (in the case of what we would call “Sowing the Oil”), children’s stories, the so-called “Tío Tigre y Tío Conejo” (Uncle Tiger and Uncle Rabbit) and poems in the one identified, such as those of ¨Aquiles Nazoa¨.
Vehicle and pedestrian mobility must be efficient, and the time management of the complex must be easy, as well as the integration of the different factors that comprise it (traders, office workers, visitors, inhabitants). The passage of vehicles would be restricted by deterrents designed for this purpose. The traffic lights will have LED lights which are more easily identifiable (comprised of many small points of light). They would include a noise for people with hearing problems and special “cat’s eyes” would be placed at the ends of the streets to prevent glare and the collision of vehicles with the structures during the night. Automatically retractable deterrents or ¨automatic bollards¨ would be placed in certain areas of the Boulevard.
The landscaping would consist of the replanting of existing plants, the planting of 120 trees suitable to the climate of the area, without affecting the underground tanks of the Caracas Metro and the identification of tree species and the installation of tree pits to protect their roots and trunks. It was about providing a better array of environmental resources, with the aim of improving the quality of life for everyone.
Perhaps the most novel thing would be the incorporation of a sculptural and mural route, comprising many works of public art, in which the oil workers stand out. These workers were emphasised by the artist as a way of identifying the Venezuelan citizen with oil for the purposes of understanding their presence as a way of diversifying the economy. In addition to calling attention to caring for the environment and climate change, and to enable the sculpture to showcase one of the emblematic heritage buildings in the city, the Previsora Tower, and beyond that, the even more iconic Towers of the Simón Bolívar Centre, through its open part, “El Árbol caído” (The Fallen Tree) by Sydia Reyes, part of which lies horizontally, would also generate a meeting space, to “return to the square”.
As didactic and playful elements, metal sculpture characters like “Pacheco” would accompany the walkers, who according to the Caracas legend “brings the cold of El Ávila”, “Children playing Metras”, “The man sitting on a bench working on his laptop”, “the giant letters for climbing”, “the tall and thin chairs of different colours”. Also, taking advantage of the view, we placed some telescopes, which we called “warairascopes”, taking inspiration from the indigenous name of our hill “Waraira Repano”, and a figure of our renowned artist Armando Reverón, who dedicated his best paintings to honour our Hill, better known as “El Ávila”.
All this is coupled with the tidiness of the façades; the elimination of visual clutter; the maintenance of only the names, signs and information panels that had heritage value; and the strict regulation of the size of the distinctive new signs; the use of devices, not for publicity, but to convey educational messages, i.e., of awareness raising. Equally, the placement of clear signage, in accordance with global parameters, clean, legible and visually uncluttered. Similarly, the establishment of strict rules regarding rubbish collection schedules, the maximum noise level permitted for playing music within premises, the prohibition of the use of the public space by businesses, either through mannequins and much less, illegal constructions or the opening outwards of their boundaries or gates. On the other hand, daily campaigns were organised to impound illegally parked motorcycles, i.e. those that occupy the space designated for pedestrians, through joint logistics with trucks from the National Guard. Likewise, the use of space by street actors was regulated, and it was ensured that they were in fact professional street actors and not simply people who occupy the public space abusively and even worse, with music at full volume, without having any artistic quality or skill. The same consideration was extended to true artisans and not street vendors.
However, the project recognises the Boulevard as a social space, in which the most significant cultural buildings in terms of architecture and of daily life in our Caracas would be preserved. We were therefore able to consider the uniqueness of the site and its strategic location, linking the spaces with new proposals for urban renewal.
It was our project, a compendium of ideas regarding architecture, restoration, rehabilitation, urban planning, landscaping, mobility and environmental, social and cultural management, within the framework of representing the social actors who live their lives in the area.
The most successful aspect was having managed to change citizen awareness on the Boulevard in a positive way. We were able to conduct awareness-raising work, through which people maintained a respectful attitude towards the space, without dropping litter or tearing up plants. I remember, for example, the walks we took with the communities bearing signs to avoid the “chiclets” tub on the Boulevard.
All of the above became a reality because our actions were not irregular, nor were they improvised. They were planned, discussed and reviewed with the different social actors. For each of them, the parties concerned were incorporated in order to arouse a sense of identity and belonging within them.
In the case of the waste containers for example, they were located at the Boulevard intersections, not on the main thoroughfare, because we wisely considered their placement becomes, ultimately, a “permit to dump rubbish”, i.e., to place rubbish bags at the wrong time and outside the collection schedules. As consideration for the granting of their kiosk, the clerks had to take special care of their respective waste container, and prevent it from overfilling. They did so, and the social support staff followed up on this, issuing written calls for attention in the event of breaches of this commitment.
Passers-by knew that they had to go to the intersections or go behind the “street cleaners”, placed “ex professo”, duly identified and with specific devices and instruments, to proceed to throw away their rubbish.
On the other hand, each kiosk would serve as a billboard for an artistic exhibition, which would form a museum discourse, as one was walking.
The representatives of our Social Support Management, together with interns and university thesis students, would walk up and down the boulevard many times a day in order to detect any new or negative situation. The merchants would participate in these rounds, and anyone who joined in the care and defence of space or attended meetings, would get public recognition as a “Friend of the Boulevard”, which would be placed in the display window of their business, in full view of everyone.
The people living rough on the street would be duly assisted and sent to the ad hoc organisation called the “Black Hipólita Mission”, for their care and monitoring.
The cleaning of the Boulevard would be performed every day with organic products and high-tech vehicles and devices.
Temporary works of art were placed in order to avoid improper behaviour, such as the passage of motorcycles or the establishment of street vendors. For example, large cardboard boxes with signs that prohibited motorcycles were placed in an apparently unguarded manner, right at the areas where they used to park. In addition, a specific parking area for motorcycles, duly signposted and quite spacious, was built on the Avenue running parallel to the Boulevard (Solano). Another was planned for the other parallel Avenue (Casanova).
But the most important aspect for our success, was the permanent incorporation of continuous and free cultural activities of the highest quality, especially for iconic celebrations, such as Carnival, Holy Week and Christmas with the Giant Nativity of Sabana Grande, created by the Erazo brothers from the state of Merida, in a totally handcrafted way. There we make presentations for all tastes and ages, and of all dimensions. On weekends, we would always be present and the agenda would be delivered to the communities in our weekly meetings and would be published in newspapers and on community radio, as well as on our digital web pages and social networks. Our premise of “reclaimed space, space taken by culture” enabled us to keep the capital connected and enthusiastic with its Boulevard. By which I mean making local inhabitants want to showcase it, share it and, above all, establish it as a meeting place.
It was very exciting to see how the Boulevard came to life, how they returned to walk along it, the inhabitants turned into ghosts for so many years; how the couples met again and the children played in the little parks, sometimes in disguise, sometimes armed with balls and gloves; how dog owners took their pets out for a walk; and the young mums had a place to walk their babies in the pram; how the “quinceañeras” were happy to buy their party dresses. It was also exciting to see workers of all ages; many, in a hurry; others being thoughtful; some balancing meetings or joint ventures.
Even more beautiful, when one of the Boulevard workers took his family on a Sunday, proudly explaining how he had participated in making such a space possible, asking for the respect and corresponding citizen behaviour at the same time.
The communities, the people of Caracas, learned to respect our work. It was for that reason that they recognised our legitimacy to act, to decide, to influence their daily lives. It was not necessary to wear police uniforms or pistols. This was because we acted within the pre-established and previously advised intervals, because we did it without any improvisation, in accordance with assessments and plans. It was because they saw us committed to the project, walking in my case, at least twice a week, again and again. We were surrounded by young people who were taking not of the works to come one by one. It was because the communities were invited to participate at all times. It was because the materials used were always the best, because cultural activities did not stop, because maintenance guaranteed sustainability. In short, it was because it was evident that the work, the project, had been done with and out of love.
Thus, the spirit of the once intellectual Caracas, the universality of ideas, the avant-garde and the letters, which were discussed in “El Techo de las Ballenas” (The Roof of the Whales), in “La Cruz de Sur” (The Southern Cross), in the “Triángulo of las Bermudas” (Bermuda Triangle); in the “Galería Viva México” (Viva Mexico Gallery), as well as the meetings of “Papillón” at the “Gran Café of Sabana Grande”, found on this road that connected Caracas with La Guaira at the beginning of last century. This was a place for adjusting, a space to express themselves: on the faces of the children playing games and having fun, playing on each and every one of the recreational installations, or throwing pebbles to bounce on the little airplane painted on the pavement, in the gaze of lovers who listen to a poem in the “Plaza Aquiles Nazoa”, in the office worker who stops to contemplate the “Waraira Repano” or the inhabitant who enjoys a concert” by our System of Orchestras.
There will be many topics that best identify the Project, we can begin with the one that leads us to comment on each of the works of art exhibited there, and to enjoy the combination of consecrated artists and other new artists place there. For that and for much more, it is wonderful to review this work; and, if it is still possible, above all, to be aware that it is worth living it!
For now, I invite you to read my future articles, to explain about so many details, above all, so that we know how we manage to transform urban behaviour by example, work, social support and the use of advertising as an awareness-raising tool; only through the inclusion of the communities and the cultural activities of the space taken for the culture, true enthusiastic integration is guaranteed. The Boulevard is thus an authoritative and tangible example of Democracy, of Participatory Democracy, which our Constitution understood as a starting point for the social order of all Venezuelans.