The Historic Center of Cuenca, capital of the Ecuadorian province of Azuay, is steep in a process of urban transformation due to the implementation of a new mobility model, a plan which is part of the CES program of Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, in collaboration with the GAD Municipal of Cuenca, and will reduce vehicular pressure on the area, and thus also the demand for parking lots, creating new opportunities for the affected spaces.

Aiming to spot vulnerabilities and opportunities in these spaces with maximum rigor, and relying on citizen involvement, the Madrid firm Ecosistema Urbano proposes a series of strategies under the new ‘Plan for the Revitalization of the Historic Center of Cuenca,’ winner of the 2017 International Spanish Architecture Award of the Spanish Association of Architecture Institutes (CSCAE), in the Urban Planning section.

The mechanisms for participating in Cuenca Red establish a direct relationship between the citizen, the design process, and technical development, with five objectives to be met: consult, educate, inspire, actívate, and communicate. So the collaborative installation ‘Mosaico Ciudadano’ fosters creative ways of viewing the urban dimension and disseminates the process. Finally, digital tools are used as permanent channels of participation. ecosistema urbano