Context Las Cruces Neighbourhood

from RETROFIT LAS CRUCES / TU WIEN 2021

Introduction

BOGOTÁ

Las Cruces is a neighbourhood in the historic city centre of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. The Latin American metropolis with 7.8 million (2021) inhabitants is situated on a high plateau in the Andes at 2625 meters above sea level. The cities landscape is dominated by a mountain range running north-south and limiting the city to the east. (Due to this fact most of the city maps are orientated with the east to the top). At the foot of this mountain range, Bogotá was founded as a compact city. Nevertheless, in the last century, it has experienced rapid population growth which led to an enormous expansion; especially in the North-South direction. Formal urban development has not been able to keep up with this evolution while various inner-city neighbourhoods have fallen into decay and became marginalized areas with tenements, informal settlements developed on the outskirts.

Nowadays Bogotá has a dispersed structure with strong socioeconomic polarization and microsegregation. While the north is known to be the socioeconomic rich part of the city, the south and south-west are identified as the socioeconomic poor part of the city. This socioeconomic classification is institutionalized by the so-called Estratos – six defined socio-economic levels which should enable socioeconomic balance but rather led to more segregation.

Administratively, the city is structured into 20 districts, which are further divided into neighbourhoods called barrios. The rectangular grid of streets is structured into Carreras running North-South and Calles running East-West. The cities transport is organized by buses, primarily by a BRT system called Transmilenio.

HISTORIC CITY CENTER

The historic city center is composed by the districts La Candelaria, Santa Fé and Los Mártires. Until the 50s these districts formed a continuous urban fabric, with mixed uses, a socioeconomic diverse population and transport based on a tram system. After massive riots in 1948, the city centre was heavily destroyed. In consequence, many institutions, businesses and people who could afford it moved away to the north and the tram was shut down. The centre was falling into decay. Furthermore, due to the rise of car mobility large road corridors were implemented separating the centre into different parts and defining the district borders. From the 80s onward the most central part La Candelaria was renovated. Nowadays La Candelaria is the political, administrative, cultural and touristic centre. Santa Fé, the district surrounding La Candelaria, and Los Martires, to the west, have a significantly lower socioeconomic level, they show high evidence of physical deterioration and there is a great number of tenements. Residential areas predominate but there are also popular commercial zones.

Particular significance has to be given to Carrera Septima – the city’s most symbolic street – formerly known as Camino Real. Since pre-colonial times this street connected indigenous settlements it led to the salt mines of Zapaquira in the north and further on to the city Tunja. Later on, it was the main axes of urban development as well as the main tramway line. Along the street many important places are located: the main square Plaza Bolívar with the cathedral, the parliament, the municipality and the courthouse, the presidential palace but also the main square of Las Cruces and its cathedral. It is a highly frequented commercial street and on Sundays, it’s part of Cyclovia – a citywide network of streets opened up for cyclists and pedestrians. But there is an important observation to be made. While the street is a well-maintained pedestrian zone from the presidential palace to the north, to the south, crossing Calle 7 it changes into a normal street with narrow walkways and continuing just 500 meters by crossing the large road corridor of Calle 6 also called Avenida Comuneros the situation abruptly changes. The street is poorly maintained and the urban context is very deteriorated. This is the neighbourhood of Las Cruces. Located within 15 minutes walking from Plaza Bolívar it is separated by the mentioned fiscal borders but moreover by an invisible border of stigmatization due to poverty and insecurity. But there is much to be discovered

LAS CRUCES NEIGHBOURHOOD

The neighbourhood is situated between the oriental mountain range and Carrera 10 and between Calle 6 and Calle 1.

History

The area is urbanized in the 19th century and becomes a vital working-class and artisan neighbourhood. Until the 50s the neighbourhood is well integrated into the city centre and connected to the tramway. After the riots of 1948 a mental border arises and the construction of Carrera 10 (1947) create a fiscal border. Anyway, the neighbourhoods keep densifying. On the one hand, more and more tenements are emerging and on the other hand, new buildings arise through auto-construction. For decades the socioeconomic level of the area is declining and there are no public investments. This affects public space and housing conditions, economy, safety and in general living quality. With the construction of Calle 6 (2004), the barrio gets more isolated and internal displacement of marginalized populations arriving at Las Cruces increases insecurity. Although Las Cruces always has been a neighbourhood with a strong identification of its inhabitants this feeling is getting lost. Finally, during the administration of Petro from 2012 – 2015, some urban revitalization projects are realized. Especially public spaces are recovered. Furthermore, private initiatives lead to innovative housing projects on Carrera Septima. Recently the neighbourhood is receiving many Venezuelan migrants for whom Las Cruces serves as Arrival city. For the future diverse revitalization, interventions are projected. It remains to be seen which ones will be realized.

Population

Las Cruces has around 11.000 inhabitants and a density of 230 hab/ hectare which is slightly higher than the cities average. Most of the inhabitants are working in the informal sector, this means they gain their income on a daily basis and mostly work on the street as a street vendor, shoe shiner, waste picker, as well as construction workers, cleaning ladies or in workshops. The average income is significantly below the average level of Bogotá and below the legal minimum wage. Therefore, poverty and even extreme poverty are present issues. Furthermore, it has to be noted that the population is living in conditions of Vulnerability and Marginalization. These conditions have an impact on the urban structure, the housing situation as well as on culture. This is especially evident in the strong and internationally recognized Rap and Hip-Hop culture that has developed since the 80ties.

Urban structure

Las Cruces has a surface of around 48 hectares and consist of 48 building blocks. Its street network follows the colonial grid and is partly adapted to the topography and the previously existing rivers. The mountains are located to the east and the terrain slopes down to the west. The main street and economic axe in the north-south direction is Carrera Septima, which connects Plaza Bolívar with the central square Parque de Las Cruces. In the west-east direction, it’s Calle 2/ Calle 1f. It connects the Transmilenio Bus Station with the marketplace Plaza de Las Cruces. These streets as well as Calle 1, also connected to a Transmilenio Station, form the main accesses to the neighbourhood. Calle 1 – the first street – holds also a symbolic value. It´s the tipping point between the south and north. The line very street numbers change into 2 south, 3 souths. Furthermore, a road section on Calle 1C was formerly known as Callejon de la Muerte – Street of death – which relates to a historic legend as well as to its more recent past as a hotspot for criminality.

Public space

Las Cruces has three important public spaces. Parque de Las Cruces, Plaza de Mercado and Parque Tisquesusa. Parque de Las Cruces is the central green space and contains the historic fountain, La Garza. The park is surrounded by the cathedral “Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Carmen”, an additional church “Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad”, and the adjoint former monastery” NOMBRE” both closed, as well as a traditional residential passage “Edificio Alonso”. All of the buildings form part of the collective identity and cultural heritage. The same applies to Plaza de Mercado, the market square with an emblematic market hall from 1928. The market is still functioning and an important place of everyday life. Parque Tisquesusa is a green space and public park with various football fields and an indoor sports area. In general, it can be noticed that due to a very compact and consolidated urban fabric there are very few public and green spaces.

Housing

The residential architecture of Las Cruces is characterized by traditional one- or two-story patio houses as well as autoconstruction. The former are typically designed for long and narrow plots while the latter is designed for quite small plots, resulting from an ongoing subdivision of blocks and plots. Although many buildings are defined as a cultural heritage the neighbourhood shows high evidence of physical deterioration. The majority of families in the neighbourhood live in rent. 30% live in apartments, 34% just habitat a single room in a tenement locally recognized as Inquilinatos. Las Cruces is one of the neighbourhoods with the highest number of tenements. This form of housing is one of the most precarious and characterized by poor housing conditions as well as overcrowding. It emerges as a consequence of poverty, informality and migration. Just 36% of people are homeowners. Nevertheless, many of them also face poor socioeconomic conditions and convert their houses into tenements to earn an income. The total deficit of housing in Las Cruces counts 860 units (2017).

There is also a significant number of houses in ruins, mostly uninhabited and abandoned. Furthermore, considering the predominantly residential use of the area, there are quite a lot of plots with inappropriate uses as parking lots, material deposits and storage halls which have a negative effect on public space and security. Especially a storage hall near Plaza de Mercado and various huge halls on Carrera septimal with Calle 1, which serve as a bus depot, are considered inappropriate.

Security and criminality

Las Cruces has a very bad reputation and is commonly branded as dangerous and insecure. To a certain degree, this image reflects a reality that has to be dealt with. The neighbourhood is divided into various micro territories which are ruled by different gangs, some of them more, some of them less dangerous. Additionally, there are drug selling spots, which are generally related to criminality. In everyday life, security depends on how well you are related to your neighbours and how well you know the neighbourhood to avoid unsafe spots. It can be stated that for non-locals it’s more insecure. During the daytime, the neighbourhood is mostly safe, especially while walking on frequented streets but after 4 pm it’s not recommended for non-locals to be there.

Economy and productivity

Las Cruces economy is moving between formal - informal and illegal activities. The informal sector is the biggest and makes up more than 50%. Most of the productive activities are realized on the ground floor of residential buildings so-called “productive dwellings”. There you can find local commerce, crafts and micro industry. The neighbourhood is especially known for craftmanship as carpenters, tinsmiths and shoemakers. Anyway, there is not enough local economy to provide a sufficient labour market for the neighbourhood. Therefore, many inhabitants work informally in the nearby city centre.

parque las cruces

parque Tisquesusa

But numbers

IMPRESIONS OF LAS CRUCES

Carrera Decima (1)

Important street running North-South and transport corridor of the Transmilenio Bus System.

Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Carmen (2) Main church of the neighbourhood Las Cruces.

Parque Distrital Las Cruces (3)

Central Park and most important public space of the neighbourhood, surrounded by (2), (3), (4)

Iglesia de la Santissima Trinidad (4)

Unusually, there are two churches on the square Parque Las Cruces (3). This church is secondary and is less big than (2). It is connected to (5) and today it’s closed.

Claustro de las Hermanas del Rosario (5)

Monastery founded in 1651 and remodelled at the beginning of the 20 century. Later on, it served as a school. Today it’s closed for almost 20 years.

Avenida Comuneros I Calle 6 (6)

Important street running West-East and connecting to a highway along the mountains rang to the North. The street was extended in 2004 created thereby a rupture in the urban fabric