Rethinking the Barrancos

42% of Guatemala City’s surface is made up of ravines, commonly known as "Barrancos". These barrancos limit mobility, reduce urban integration, and represent a significant health risk for the multiple formal and informal settlements around them that use them as trash dumps and sewage. Considering Guatemala’s urban population is expected to double in the next decade, the risks that the barrancos represents will double as well.

Guatemala City Hub aimed to proactively address this challenge by mobilizing citizens to co-create solutions. The hub developed a Tactical Urbanism Methodology: implementing short term interventions that have impact on the long term and promote citizen collaboration in the integration of Barrancos as natural ecosystems with the urban network. By bringing awareness to the community about cultural and environmental topics, they aspire to engage people to be a part of the solution and be hands-on protagonist of its implementation.