What was the challenge?

Urbanismo Vivo works with a participatory methodology that places people at the center of urban design. Through ethnographic research, interviews, pop-up activities, and direct collaboration with local actors, the aim was to reimagine Ejército de los Andes square in Villa Luro as a more inclusive, livable, and biodiverse public space.

For this project, the challenge was to design and implement permanent interventions — planters, benches, and native planting — that would not only regenerate ecology but also strengthen the social fabric of the neighborhood.

What was the idea?

The approach was to create a living urban ecosystem where design, nature, and community meet.

• Landscape Design & Planting Plan (my role): I developed a composition of native species — trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers — designed to attract pollinators (butterflies, birds, insects), ensure seasonal change throughout the year, and strengthen the identity of the place through color palettes and textures.

• Participatory Urbanism: The design-thinking inspired methodology encouraged listening, co-creation, and testing ideas directly with neighbors and local organizations.

• Community Ownership: Involving residents in planting not only shaped the physical environment but also fostered a sense of belonging and stewardship.

How was it executed?

• Site Research & Mapping: Urbanismo Vivo carried out ethnographic research, behavioral mapping, and interviews with residents to understand how the plaza was being used and perceived.

• Planting Design (my contribution): I prepared the planting plan, selecting native and seasonal species organized in ecological and aesthetic layers. Color was used as a structuring principle (yellows & whites, blues & violets, reds & oranges) to create coherence and visual rhythm.

• Collective Planting Experience: Together with the NGO Memoria Nativa and local residents, planting days transformed the act of gardening into an educational and social experience. Neighbors of all ages participated in preparing soil, planting, watering, and learning about the ecological role of each species.

• Collaborations: Adolescents from Memoria Nativa contributed plants from their nursery and co-led planting, reinforcing the link between environmental education and social inclusion.

What was achieved?

• Ecological Regeneration: Introduction of native plants fostered biodiversity, pollination, and seasonal dynamics in an urban setting.

• Social Connection: Collective planting created bonds between neighbors and strengthened community identity.

• Education & Awareness: Residents learned about the importance of native flora and the therapeutic benefits of interacting with nature.

• Long-term Sustainability: By involving local actors from the start, the intervention has greater chances of maintenance and continuity.

• Community Empowerment: Adolescents from social enterprises were included, linking environmental care with social and economic resilience.

  Ultimately, Urbanismo Vivo showed how landscape design + participatory methodologies can transform a public square into a shared ecosystem, alive both ecologically and socially.