Cerro La Ballena Park Master Plan

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The proposal, in terms of management and operation, is divided into two areas: Cerro Park and Urban Edge with Neighborhood Square. This differentiation applies to the programs available, use conditions, and administration. The limit of these two zones, constructed by the Paseo Zocal, is determined between the height of 8 and 10 meters of the hill, with respect to street level.

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The Cerro Park consists of an entire area, with respect to the Paseo Zocal, that incorporates the summits and the areas of the greater slopes. The park responds to various communal and metropolitan needs. The park is mainly characterized as a reflective and introspective space due to its pedestrian paths, sustainable amount of land designated for environmental conservation and reforestation, and the transformation of the hill into an urban park. Additionally, the Neighborhood Square possesses local qualities and directly benefits the immediate neighbors of the hill, as it provides more traditional urban conditions in comparison to the Cerro Park and functions as a buffer transition and protection between the city and the hill.

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The hill has a useful surface since it has soil with greater degradation and lower slopes, which allows for the installation of programs without the loss of biodiversity. Reformation is a crucial aspect of the proposal, as it is an essential principle of the conservation of biodiversity. Reformation would form a natural park that enhances the conditions present in the valley of Santiago, reducing the sclerophyll forest. Therefore, it is proposed that the mountain acts as a "Living Museum," ensuring the provision of ecosystem services that provide to society, seeking to protect the environmental species, and creating a unique experience by generating environmental niches for flora and fauna. To assure this, zoning is utilized, and the conservation of the ecosystem is proposed based on the requirements and state of each slope and ecological patch.

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Additionally, edge shrub species act as transitions between reforestation and urban trees by favoring the use of low-height shrub species and floral. This allows for a visual guide along the edge of the Paseo Zocalo.

 

Regarding the water strategy of the project, the Municipality of Puente Alto has water rights over the Turca Canal, which is why the system is proposed as a Disorder Lagoon on the slope of the hill, which will eliminate possible sediments carried by water. Subsequently, the water will be pumped to the first (lowest) summit toward a reservoir that creates wetlands, this way it is easy to transfer water to the second (highest) peak and generate a gravity-fed irrigation system on all the slopes. These strategies enable us to consider water as an attractive and visually-aesthetic element to enhance the other programs in the park. The programs within the communal park include a children's park and playground, an adventure park that utilizes the slopes to install large-scale slides, a canopy, climbing walls, hanging bridges, several picnic areas, and viewpoints. The northern slope includes a bike park to generate a better experience for athletes while considering the prevention of erosion of the rest of the hill.

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At the summits and the lagoons, two extraordinary programs are proposed. At the lowest peak, a cafeteria and bicycle workshop are designed as optimal resting points along the hill, as well as a convenient area for bikers on the hill. Additionally, the highest summit suggests the relocation of the telecommunication antennas in the mountain to create an urban landmark visible from several points along the hill while also generating an esplanade viewpoint next to the lagoon.