CARLOS SOTO URBANIST carlos.soto.nieto@gmail.com +44 777 4891240 linkedin.com/in/cesoto
CITIES | PLACES | PEOPLE
Planning + Design + Sustainability
SHORT [BIO] Urbanist and innovation enthusiast with experience in urban diagnostic analysis and mapping, master-planning, city-level strategies, and local frameworks and regulations. During my professional journey I have learnt from and collaborated with multidisciplinary teams from different countries on a variety of projects, which has allowed me to expand my perspective on different urban contexts, services and cultures. By getting involved with NGOs and volunteering activities I gained skills on strategic planning, community development/engagement and design of social projects through participatory workshops. These experiences have complemented my understanding of urban planning, the scales and the relationship between different stakeholders across sectors and age groups. Nowadays I am interested in new experiences to integrate sustainability, climate-sensitive planning and place-based competitiveness through design and technologies to foster liveability in communities and cities.
Planning + Design + Sustainability
[TIMELINE] [Winner- Design Contest] Municipal Prize, Chacao Municipality, Venezuela
Improving Lives in Cities (IDB - Chapter: Venezuela)
[BSc. Urban Planning] [2010] [2007-2012]
Universidad Simón Bolívar (USB), Vzla. Graduated GPA: 4.2/5
[2012]
[International Summer Schools]
[Finalist - Ideas Contest] [MSc. Urban Design] [2015]
[2015-2017]
[2013]
[2017] Modelística, Venezuela.
Urban Lab - ITESM, Mexico
[Research Intern]
[Urban Design Assistant]
[UK]
[MSc. Urban Climate & Sustainabillity]
Universidad Central de Venezuela Schooling Completed GPA: 18/20
[2014-2018] UD Workshops (USB), Vzla.
LAMK + Lapland University, Finland
[2018-2020]
CityPlan, Venezuela-Panama
[2019]
Glasgow Caledonian University, UK LAB University of Applied Sc, Finland Universidad de Huelva, Spain.
Ramboll, Finland
[Urban Planner/Designer] [Project Intern]
[Adjunct Lecturer]
[FI] [ES]
[MX] [PA]
[VE]
CITIES | PLACES | PEOPLE
[CONTENT] Master-planning, landscaping and morphology • Urban expansion of Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico • Spatial patterns of hispanic-america, Mexico •• Regenerating integral spaces for coexistence: Catia Sur, Caracas, Venezuela • Enhancing walkability and urban interactions: El Hatillo, Caracas, Venezuela • Natural drainages and social dialogue: Caurimare waterstream, Caracas, Venezuela • Competitive public spaces: Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela • Climate-sensitive treatment of dumps: Methotamulla, Colombo, Sri Lanka • Tactical urbanism and interactive planning: Kirkkolampi, Heinola, Finland •
[4-5] [6-7] [8-9] [10-11] [12-15] [16-18] [19] [20-21] [22-23]
Urban regeneration through linear parks along METRO: Caracas - Guarenas - Guatire, Venezuela • Master plan and local developent of Plaza Brion: Caracas, Venezuela • Environmental system of urban drainages, mobility and public spaces: Cumana, Venezuela • Pilot of integration and management of coastal zones: Margarita Island, Venezuela • Social housing scheme, neighbourhood plan: Las Cumbres, Panama • Housing analysis and development optioning: Penonome, Panama • Site analysis and regulation drafting/coding: La Cabaña, El Hatillo, Venezuela • Form-based urban constraints/regulation drafting: Boleita, Caracas, Venezuela • Urban structure and building regulations for the development plan: Maracay, Venezuela •
[24-25] [26-27] [28-29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35-37]
Competition - Ideas for the integration of Centro Simon Diaz: Back to the roots • Competition - Urban renewal of public spaces: Interconnected system of parks • Competition - Improving lives in cities: URBIO, a crowdsourcing and communication platform • Competition - Tactical Urbanism for socio-spatial activation: LIVA, a reusable urban device •
[38] [39] [40] [41]
PROJECT [CODING] [STREAM]
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P
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Analysis
Planning
Design
M Management
[SCALE]
[TYPE]
Urban
Local
Punctual
Ac
Pr
Pe
Academic Professional
Personal
[OVERVIEW] OF CONTENT BY AREAS OF WORK
[City Planning & Strategies]
[Masterplanning]
[Spatial Analysis - GIS]
[Landscape & Urban Design]
[Regulations & Codes]
Ac ademic
A
Ac Academic Urban
Local
Punctual Analysis
D Design
[Masterplanning, landscaping and morphology] Institution: Universidad SimĂłn BolĂvar (USB), Caracas Venezuela Year: 2007-2012 Tools: CAD, Excel, Photoshop, Hand-drawing and crafting
During the BSc. in Urban Planning, I coursed 11 workshops/studios of urbanism which covered different scales, from understanding the terrain, soil composition and the physical environment (climate, vegetation, watersheeds and waterstreams, natural hazards, and so on) to local and urban planning and design, taking into account infrastructure networks and feasibility approaches. The following images are a sample of my work in the workshops that were focused on urban design and spatial planning.
Proposal of a sidewialk networks and new building typologies towards a compact density on the main street of Baruta-La Trinidad, Caracas.
Site analysis and group slope-landscape design of a local park. Guaicay, Baruta , Caracas.
Hand-drawing of a Land use master plan, Eje Episcopado, Caracas.
El Tambor, Los Teques, is an area where at the time this team proposal was developed, there was a new METRO station yet to be put in operation. The idea of the master plan was to produce a vision for the sector as a node of transport connections, services, new housing, work places and a system of green spaces along the way of main avenues. Taking the baseline and site analysis done in teams, my main contribution in this project was conceptualising and producing the overall concept for the master plan followed by the testing of volumetric samples to visualise what the urban constraints (codes) for the future buildings could be, as seen on the right.
Ac Academic Urban
A Analysis
Queretaro is a middle-sized city that in the period 2004-2011 experienced a notable increase is size, along with a sustained growth in economic activities due to its strategic location in the center of Mexico. This individual work forms part of my undergraduate final research where I analysed such urban expansion from a spatial perspective, comparing the building patterns with the characteristics of urban sprawl in order to forecast the future trends and identify zones in need of further regulation. The images below show a characterization and mapping of spatial patterns by types of construction.
Gated communities
Informal settlements
Special districts
[Urban expansion of Santiago de Queretaro] Institution: USB, Venezuela / ITESM, Mexico Location: Stgo. de Queretaro, Mexico Population: 625,495 (2010) Year: 2012 Tools: CAD, GIS, Excel, Photoshop, Depthmap Supervisors: Dr. Josefina Florez / Dr. Claudia Ortiz
By using depthmap and the theory of space syntax, co-runned an analysis to assess the accessibility and connectivity of the street network to find some linkages with the expansion patterns. The warmest colours represent higher levels of access or connection,
A
Ac Academic Local
Analysis
[Spatial patterns in hipanic-america ] Institution: Urban Lab Queretaro, ITESM Mexico Location: Colonia Carretas, Queretaro - Mexico. Year: 2012 Tools: CAD, GIS, Excel, Photoshop Supervisor: Mariana Esquivel Cuevas, MArch.
The historic centre of QuerĂŠtaro is under the protection of UNESCO along with its churches, squares and gardens. It is a city with plenty of cultural heritage from both pre-colonial and colonial times. As an intern in the Urban Lab, I carried the analysis, mapping and reporting of results for a specific case-study I was assigned: Carretas, a residential neighbourhood that is considered to have a transitional typology of buildings that illustrates the shift from colonial (mixed-uses and free access) to contemporary patterns mostly implemented in gated communities (access barries and mono function) The following images show the processing of site observations I collected to conduct the morphological analysis.
(Centre)
(Transition)
(New Dev.)
The facades were analysed according to their proportions and relations with ventilation and visual permeability (image on the right), I also used GIS to compile a geospatial database with information on building footprints, in order to make it available for further research (image above left)
Ac Academic Local
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Analysis
Design
[Regenerating integral spaces for coexistence] Institution: Universidad Central de Venezuela Location: Catia, Caracas, Venezuela Population: 398,000 (2011) Year: 2015 Tools: CAD, Illustrator, Sketchup Supervisor: Prof. Maria Isabel PeĂąa Catia is located on the west side of the city of Caracas, it is known as a densely populated sector surrounded by informal settlements with deficient facilities, services, and amenities. But also it is an area with a huge potential due to the presence of certain amount of brownfields suitable for re-development as well as a significant amount of industrial warehouses that could be retrofitted or repurposed. The images below are part of the site analysis showing land use, road hierarchy and public spaces, as well as a 3D model I made to show the morphology of the southside.
Contextual relations analysis, identifying centralities, large scale facilities, headquarters and other potential spaces.
Local analysis, focused on urban dynamics, pedestrian circulation and other interactions. The south area is highlighted as lacking of activities but also as a potential.
Mixed-use
Facilities
Greenery
Public Space
This individual piece of work consisted of both the previous analysis and a master plan for the re-development of an old industrial and mono-functional polygon (southside of the study area) which also borders the lower part of an informal settlement. The idea was to provide enhanced employment and the urban equipment of facilities, in order to favour the social integration towards the future improvement not only of the site itself but the overall context, including the informal settlements around by giving them access to services and the opportunity for incremental changes through pilot actions. Additionally, green roofs and other forms of transitional semi-public schemes are proposed as a way to extend the scope of public spaces by utilising new public facilities and industrial-commercial buildings as connectors.
GROUND LEVEL PLAN/SECTION Semi-public scheme
Ac Academic Local
Punctual
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Analysis
Design
[Enhancing walkability and urban interactions] Institution: Universidad Central de Venezuela Location: El Hatillo, Caracas, Venezuela Population: 32,000 aprox. Year: 2015 Tools: CAD, Illustrator, Photoshop, Sketchup Supervisor: Prof. Franco Micucci
The colonial town of El Hatillo is located at the southeast of Caracas. It is known for its local offer of restaurants and craft stores which receive visitors mostly during the weekend. The urban morphology of this town is conditioned by its prevalent car-oriented infrastructure and the topography where it stands. This town has a sort of mirror on the north, a stable informal settlement that is almost the same size in surface. The connection between these two areas is limited by a main road that acts as a barrier for proper walkability (red line in the image below) between these two sites.
As it is, the whole infrastructure does not make justice to the place and the pedestrians, who are forced to transit by very narrow sidewalks, frequently blocked, damaged and discontinuous. Those are the main issues addressed in the conceptual proposal I elaborated for this area, aiming to consolidate a pedestrian system that would allow both locals and visitors to walk and move around safely. At the same time, the concept aims to upgrade the dialogue between the town and the community to the north by establishing longitudinal connections with facilities and amenities to impulse the local competitiveness of both places.
The master plan is based on three key aspects: The public space, the facilities and the mobility (as shown in the three figures above). All the actions I proposed are categorised by scale and scope; for example, the facilities could be local, urban, as well as new (N) or refurbished (A). The longitudinal section below illustrates the complexity of the land in terms of its suitability for traditional means of transportation and pedestrian connections.
Station 4
Station 3 Lift/Building Station 2
Station 1 In order to overcome spatial constraints I proposed three strategies that, although ambitious, seek to reinforce the mobility and interactions between the north and the south; a funicular, the construction of bridge-type buildings (upper left corner), and the underpass of the main road (image below).
A
By underpassing the road, not only a new place is gained but also the opportunity for buildings in the southernmost part of the informal settlement to benefict from incremental changes due to the new dynamics. This principle also applies to the extended longitudinal interventions.
visual
In this proposal I took care from the master-plan scale to the small interventions, thought as actions with perceptual and aesthetic impact: i.e. turning the facades of local landmarks into inviting spaces as done wirh the local chapel. (see before and after images on the right)
Visual
Ac Academic Local
Punctual
A
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Analysis
Design
Located to the east of Caracas, the water-stream Caurimare is one of the channels that brings stormwater from the Avila mountain, at the north of the city, to the river Guaire (the main urban river) in the middle of the valley. As part of the urban design studio III of the MSc. UD, I was assigned this case study to be analysed and critically approached through a proposal that strengthens the character of the water-stream as a potential axis for public enjoyment while dialoguing with different urban and social conditions in the inmediate context. This work was feaured in an online latin-american magazine: Plataforma Urbana, (see link)
Apart from the basic physical variables, the analysis of open spaces and mobility networks was key for the design objectives.
[Natural drainages and social dialogue] Institution: Universidad Central de Venezuela Location: Caurimare water-stream, Caracas, Venezuela Year: 2016 Tools: CAD, GIS, Illustrator Supervisor: Prof. Frank Marcano
NODE A
NODE A
NODE B
Special emphasis was put on two places; a potential park to the north and a proposed bridge-square to intercommmunicate public transit systems. Similarly, the park to the north intends to overcome the highway junction as a pedestrian barrier
NODE B
By making the most of the pre-existent baseball field, a roof level platform is proposed to be turned into a public square that inter-connects the two areas currently divided by the highway, and the light overground station. At the same time, this platform could serve as an extension of the stands for game watching and commercial activities.
Ac Academic Local
A
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Analysis
Design
[Competitive public spaces] Institution: Universidad Central de Venezuela Location: Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela Year: 2016 Tools: CAD, Illustrator Supervisor: Prof. Sonia Sansone
This project set the basis for my final research proposal in the MSc in Urban Design, based on some critical geography theories to determine interventions related to the attractiveness and pedestrian flow. The two systems are: the system of objects (physical spaces) and the system of actions (dynamics and flows). The image above broadly classifies spaces by characteristics and properties of those systems which were identified during a couple of days of site visits and observation, while the image beside this text, drafts some design strategies to tackle the identified issues.
Ac Academic Local
A
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Analysis
Design
This was a team work, part of a module on Climate change and the urban environment. The team was given a basic dataset to get an idea of the baseline. We took into consideration both social and climatic aspects to come up with a balanced response. The general proposal was to make use of part of the material in the dump, as filling material to reshape an artificial landscape, with a layout that favours wind-flow, hence cooling off the micro-climate in the inmediate context and dissipating air pollution (images below)
[Climate-sensitive treatment of dumps] Institution: Glasgow Caledonian University Location: Methotamulla, Colombo, Sri Lanka Population: 55,000 Year: 2019 Tools: ENVI-MET, GIS, Illustrator Supervisor: Prof. Emmanuel Rohinton Team members: Carlos Soto, Megi Zala, Marina Khan, Oliver Carlo, Thais Glowacki
I also worked along with a colleague to propose a drafting of a form-based code for the housing development within the area, keeping in mind climate-sensitive design.
My key role in the team was focused on the master-planning and the management approach, in terms of land uses, stakeholders and local economies.
Ac Academic Punctual
Local
A
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Analysis
Design
[Tactical urbanism and interactive planning] Institution: Lahti University of Applied Sciences (LAMK) Location: Kirkkolampi, Heinola, Finland Population: 65,000 (2019) Year: 2019 Tools: CAD, Illustrator, Photoshop Supervisor: Prof. Eeva Aarrevaara Team members: Ala’ Al Dwairi, Carlos Soto Fariha Aassan, Marco Schaafsma
Heinola is a small city that is located in the way between two major cities in Finland, so it is usually seen as a passing city that currently has very little young population because of the lack of uses and opportunities for study, leisure and work, compared to neighboring cities. My team and I proposed certain activities that could thrive local conditions. Our group focused on the presence of underutilized space, abandoned buildings and facilities. The main strategy was based on tactical or pop-up interventions, as a testing and validation tool. We suggested new dynamics by re-utilising and equiping derelict and open areas, as well as linking places through thematic routes associated with nature, education and local pride.
My key role was to guide the team in the elaboration of the general spatial plan and a branding strategy, identifying the main spaces to be retroffited. We also co-designed the workshop to engage the local community in a participatory consultation. Since most of the ideas were based on incremental changes, among the main communicational material I created was a set of before-and-after photo interventions and some sets of cards with a selection of ideas that were gathered beforehand through team brainstorming and benchmarking. The participatory workshop counted with different age groups, was supported by the city council and the activities were thought in a way that we could both receive feedback and encourage participants to take part in the design process.
Pr ofessional
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Pr Professional Urban
Local
Punctual
Design
[Urban regeneration through linear parks along METRO] Client: Metro de Caracas Firm: CITYPLAN Consult. Location: Caracas-Guarenas-Guatire, Venezuela Year: 2014-2016 Tools: CAD, Photoshop, Sketchup Project Directors: Amalia Tobio, Alberto Tobio. Urban Design team: Angel Ripepi, Carlos Soto, Maria E. Mier y Teran.
As part of the construction of a new overground line, METRO wanted to address the regeneration of the affected areas in between 5 stations. I had the opportunity to work from the schematic stage to the detailed design stage of different sections of a linear masterplan that involved not only public spaces, but also road design and urban drainages. I supported the activities of senior engineers, architects and urbanists during all stages, but my principal task was within the urban design team, where I worked on the delivery of a 3 sections urban park of 1.6km of length (on the left), from conceptualisation to construction plans.
In the design, my team and I were asked to incorporate bike lanes and universal accessibility criteria in compliance with the guidelines of massive transit systems, due to its proximity to a future METRO station. This was a process of inter-team work, not only the urban design team.
I worked closely with senior engineers and architects during the detailed design phase, in order to assure feasibility by defining the proper type of materials, permeability and the insfrastructure required for the operation and maintenance of the green areas proposed. I did drawings for the surface (sample footprint above) of the entire park, sections (on the right), as well as writing descriptive reports and manuals as part of the construction documents.
Pr Professional Local
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Planning
Design
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A Punctual Analysis
Plaza Brion Chacaito is one of the busiest transportation nodes of Caracas. It is an open square with proximity to different means of transportation with routes that cover north, south, east and west areas of the city. Hence, during peak times it becomes crowded and sometimes it turns unpleasant, because of the lack of proper spatial and functional settings. I was assigned the role of team coordinator and worked with peers to deliver a local plan for the improvement of mobility, the public realm and future development of its surrounding area (46 hectares).
[Master-plan & local development: Plaza Briรณn] Client: Instituto Metropolitano de Urbanismo IMUTC Firm: CITYPLAN Consult. Location: Caracas, Venezuela Year: 2015-2016 Tools: CAD, GIS, Sketchup, Photoshop. Team Coordinator: Carlos Soto Planning and Design team: Carlos Soto, Dione Escobar, Emilio Gonzalez Mercedes Araya, Oscar Gomez-Navas Final reviewers: Alberto Tobio, Kenny Cayama.
Apart from coordinating activities I had a technical role during the compilation of previous works in order to assess and update the analysis that would later guide the proposals. I worked together with the GIS technician to generate thematic maps and organised/moderated meetings with specialist to discuss the outcomes of the analysis as well as working sessions aimed to collect inputs for the masterplan. The complexity of this area lies on the fact that it is located within the borders of three different municipal bodies.
The masterplan was also part of my responsabilities, I drafted the design and selected a sample of lots for further design in terms of land uses and morphological changes. My team and I worked together with the planning officers of the metropolitan council, in order to envision an scheme of incentives to balance public investments with the economic development of the area. We identified sources for potential funding from the participation of the private sector as well as the final action plan. A general layout and coding system was formulated along with a structure for the urban regulations to be put in force.
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Pr Professional Urban
Local
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Analysis Planning
D Design
[Environmental system of urban drainages, mobility and public spaces] Client: Interamerican Development Bank / Cumanรก Municipality Firm: CITYPLAN Consult, Panama / IH Cantabria, Spain. Location: Cumanรก, Venezuela Year: 2017-2018 Tools: CAD, GIS, Photoshop. Project Directors: Cesar Alvarez / Alberto Tobio Urban Component Team: Maria E. Mier y Teran, Carlos Soto Carolina Reyes, Ariana Tarhan, Zorangel Rojas, Israel Leal, Jose Solorzano, Virginia Jimenez, Yuri Medina, Juan Manuel Manzano
Framed in the IESC (Initiative fo Emerging and Sustainable Cities) of the IDB. I worked as one of the main urban planners and designers for the spatial analysis and masterplan aimed to recover the lakes and natural drainages of a flood prone area in a coastal city located on the north-east coast of Venezuela. During more than a year I attended to site visits and participatory activities where I led the public space working sessions, carried GIS spatial analysis to digitise the collected data and led the assessment of open areas according to their potential of development as well as other socio-spatial and functional aspects. I worked together with a set of multidisciplinary professionals and actors to gather information to be used in the proposal phase.
During the conceptual phase, I collaborated within the design team in the production of graphics to communicate the ideas that were validated and complemented by community actors in further working sessions. We proposed layouts to promote greenery, sanitation and mitigation of hazards according to the location of the flood-prone areas. This project integrated engineering, transit, urban planning and design, so the work done was always aligned with other teams, regardless the specifc team work. I personally produced maps, graphics, photos, detailed drawing, writing and perfomed review of reports linking the urban component with other fields.
Pr Professional Local
A Analysis
[Pilot of integration and management of coastal zones] Client: Whynham Concorde Hotel / Firm: CITYPLAN Consult. Location: Margarita Island, Venezuela Year: 2013 Tools: CAD, Illustrator Main team: Carolina Reyes, Carlos Soto.
This project set the starting point of a scheme aiming to update the planning regulations for coastal zones around Margarita Island. I supported the main planner in activities related to spatial analysis, specifically mapping and producing schematical drawings to illustrate the baseline in terms of land use, tourism and other urban conditions of the sector.
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Pr Professional Urban
Local
Design
[Social housing scheme: neighbourhood plan] Client: Cumbre Azul / MINVI Firm: CITYPLAN Consult, Panama Location: Las Cumbres, Panama. Year: 2015 Tools: CAD, Illustrator. Project Directors: Amalia Tobio / Mario Tamayo Masterplan Team: Maria E. Mier y Teran, Carlos Soto, Luis Borjas.
I worked together in a team to design this residential neighbourhood of around 80 hectares, in compliance with existing zonning and develoment regulations of MINVI (Ministry of Housing, Panama), but also to propose a set of codes specifically for social housing within the municipality where it was going to be built. (the building regulations in panama are centralised, hence the local codes have just started to be made). My work was focused on supporting senior architects with the review of the urban constraints, the land ownership and border overlays of the different lots affected by the project. But also, during the coseptual design stage I helped in the definition of the layout to make the most of the terrain while maintaining favorable natural conditions at the same time.
A
Pr Professional Urban
Local
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Analysis Planning
[Housing analysis and proposal assesment] Client: Interplus Panama Firm: BOCA Arquitectos / Independent collaboration Location: Penonome, Panama. Year: 2017 Tools: CAD, GIS, Excel. Masterplan Team: Manuel Barrios, Carlos Soto.
I provided independent consultancy for this project, collaborating as a reviewer of policies and regulations for new residential developments, as well as assessing the design proposal according to the criteria defined in the legal documentation in terms of land uses. I produced a complete descriptive and analytical report as part of the planning application for this project, quantifying land use surface, facilities that were required and other socio-spatial aspects.
Pr Professional Local
This vacant land with partial occupation is a private lot that has been the object of a plan for its future development as a private residential development subject to the improvement of the traffic issues on the main access road. My team and I worked in the site analysis and the drafting of a descriptive document containing a set of regulations and form-based codes to allow intermediate densities while preserving the landscape.
A
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Analysis Planning
[Site analysis and regulation drafting/coding] Client: Hatillo Municipality Firm: Cityplan Consult Location: Caracas, Venezuela. Year: 2016 Tools: CAD, GIS, Excel. Project director: Alberto Tobio Team: Ariana Tarhan, Carlos Soto, JosĂŠ Solorzano.
Pr Professional Local
Based on a proposal for an industrial area that is phasing a transition to commercial services that required to be assessed and regulated, a development framework with specific urban constraints and building codes was drafted. My responsibility was to conduct design appraisals using hypotetical densities contained in the given proposals, to come up with a complete set of variables such as; setbacks, floor coverage, roofed area, free and green spaces and other metrics to be regulated.
P Planning
[Form-based urban constraints/regulation drafting] Client: Sucre Municipality / IMUTC Firm: Cityplan Consult Location: Caracas, Venezuela. Year: 2016 Tools: CAD, GIS, Excel. Main team: Carlos Soto, Oscar Gomez-Navas Final reviewers: Alberto Tobio, Kenny Cayama.
Pr Professional Urban
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Analysis
Planning
Mgement
[Urban structure and building regulations for the development plan ] Client: Girardot Municipality Firm: ECOEQUILIBRIO Location: Maracay, Venezuela Year: 2016-2017 Tools: CAD, GIS, Excel. Project Directors: Loraine Giraud, Rosa Chacon. Urban Structure team: Carlos Soto, Dione Escobar, Sandra Ornes.
The city of Maracay is located in a strategic point between Caracas and Valencia, two of the main cities of the country. It has an urban surface of around 8,200 hectares. In order to modernise the local framework, the municipality required to update the urban development plan to recognise the current trends and needs of the population and the building stock, which superpassed expected densities with dynamics and land uses that were not considered at the time the last plan was approved decades ago. I collaborated within the team of urban structure, analysing data and exploring strategies to improve spatial and functional aspects both in the city’s structure and its regulation.
I was responsible of updating the GIS datasets covering transport networks, urban morphology, facilities and other aspects of the urban structure. My team and I used the different layers to conduct multi-variable analysis.
Sample work on the facility coverage analysis (bellow) and urban dynamics (bottom) that affect the way the city is growing can be seen in the following maps.
After the diagnosis, we devolped a general spatial strategy, considering relevant information from all other teams. The main strategies are focused on environmental and social issues among other factors that impact on the capacity and allowed densities for future developments.
The work involved several stages up to the new land useplan and coding drafts towards the definition of building design guidelines per each zone according to primary land uses, complementary activities, densities, lot sizes and utility requirements to be considered in future planning applications. I worked on this with final reviewers.
Pe rsonal
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Pe Personal
Local
Design
[Ideas for the integration of Centro Simon Diaz] Sponsor: Instituto Metropolitano de Urbanismo Open to: Nationalwide, Venezuela, Case study: Petare Slum, Caracas. Year: 2011 Tools: CAD, Photoshop. Team: Carlos Soto, Leopoldo Provenzali, Jessenia Clemente
The competition aimed to the integration of an iconic modern building located at the top of one of the densest slums in caracas, which was turned into a Cultural Centre, but with existing physical and social barries that alienated it from its surroundings. The proposal of my team was based on a series of buffers through adaptative architecture to hold socio-productive activities, as well as the enhancement of pedestrian connections and the transformation of landslide prone areas into green areas to foster neighbourhood resilience.
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Pe Personal
Local
Design
[Urban nerewal of public spaces: interconnected system of parks] Sponsor: Chacao municipality Open to: Nationalwide, Venezuela. Case Study: Chacao Southside Year: 2010 Tools: CAD, Sketchup, Photoshop. Team: Carlos Soto, Jessenia Clemente.
My colleague and I received the first prize for this proposal among more than 200 participants in the student competition sponsored by one of the 5 municipalities of Caracas. The requirement was to propose down-to-erath regeneration ideas for 4 brownfields and insdutrial lots. The proposal my collegue and I delivered was centered on the lack of green spaces in Caracas, but also the lack of pedestrian-friendly places within the southern part of the business district where the presence of junctions, highways and other barriers make it poorly attractive. We designed a masterplan of 4 parks, taking into account references from the reutilisation of some structures as it was done in the High Line (NYC) and proposed interconnection in different levels to overcome the physical barriers while promoting eco-friendly activities to generate energy, reuse materials and foster behavioural changes.
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Pe Personal
This idea of the application of GIS and internet to connect stakeholders was shortlisted as finalist for the pitch round to present its complete features and requirements as a startup. URBIO was thought as a first step into the trend of smart-cities in Caracas, based on e-goverment ideas, sharing economies and public engagement principles. We aimed to impulse low budget interventions with the participation of private sector, university faculties, NGOs, and people by gathering, validating and promoting their own local projects.
Urban
Mgmnt
[URBIO: a crowdsourcing and communication platform ] Sponsor: Interamerican Development Bank IDB - Venezuela Open to: Nationalwide, Venezuela. Case Study: Open Year: 2015 Tools: Powerpoint, Illustrator. Team: Carlos Soto, Darianna Urbina, Daniel Knobelsdorf
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Urban
Mgmnt
[Tactical Urbanism for socio-spatial activation: LIVA a reusable urban device] Sponsor: NGO Caracas City 450 Open to: Nationalwide, Venezuela. Case Suty: Chacaito-Las Mercedes, Caracas. Year: 2017 Tools: Sketchup, Illustrator. Team: Carlos Soto, Darianna Urbina, Israel Leal.
This tactical intervention was set to promote pedestrian-friendly activities around two busy junctions in the business district of Caracas. The concept of the proposal was the use of art, informal economies and recycled material to create dynamics through an adaptable module able to provide shadow, shelter, a place to stay, greenery and other temporal activities that, along with programmatic content and local participation could help to humanise some sections of the congested and poorly lighted avenues.
CITIES | PLACES | PEOPLE
carlos.soto.nieto@gmail.com +44 777 4891240 linkedin.com/in/cesoto