San Cristóbal Community Ring: Urban Infrastructure For The Integration Of Hillside Neighborhoods | Architecture Thesis On Urban Regeneration

Site Context

San Cristóbal Hill, a rocky formation located between the districts of Rímac and San Juan de Lurigancho, has held cultural and spiritual significance since pre-Hispanic times, when the Incas revered it as the protective deity of the Rímac Valley. Today, it remains the most important pilgrimage site for Catholics during Holy Week and serves as a major tourist attraction, offering panoramic views of the city.

A public initiative aims to boost its tourist appeal through the construction of a cable car that would ease access to the summit. However, this effort does not address the underlying issue of unregulated urban expansion along its slopes.

The first settlement on the Rímac side, Leticia, was founded in 1933, followed by Villa Fátima, Tres Compuertas, Villa Mercedes, and Vista Alegre. On the San Juan de Lurigancho side, neighborhoods such as Santa Rosita and Caja de Agua developed, together reaching a population of approximately 32,000 residents.

Situated on the boundary of two districts, the area suffers from weak governance, which worsens informality, insecurity, and social decline in the upper zones. To counter these challenges, a 2,125-meter ring road has been proposed, incorporating a new public transportation system, community facilities, and recreational spaces to improve urban conditions and quality of life.

Design Process

The design process began with an analysis of the urban context to identify the shared challenges and strengths of the surrounding neighborhoods. Initial sketches of the ring were developed to capture the project’s central concept and later refined to adapt to the site’s geographical conditions.

The identified issues were organized into three strategies, drawing on Salvador Rueda’s habitability theory:

1- Improving accessibility – A mid-slope ring is proposed to contain urban growth and link the existing urban fabric. This system introduces new public transport options, including an intermediate station connected to the planned cable car, road access from major avenues, and a continuous bike path.

2- Creating new centralities – Spaces are planned to strengthen social cohesion and support essential as well as emerging community activities.

3- Reclaiming public recreational space – High-risk areas are transformed into protective green borders that double as leisure zones, offering resting spots and children’s play areas. The design integrates colorful vegetation to enrich sensory experiences. To support irrigation, greywater from household consumption is treated through wetlands and reused sustainably.

Final Outcome

The project organizes San Cristóbal Hill into four sectors, each developed under a common framework but tailored to the existing infrastructure of its neighborhoods:

– Urban Garden Sector (Leticia neighborhood): Features classrooms dedicated to teaching planting, cultivation, and harvesting techniques.

– Artistic Expressions Sector (Villa Fátima and San Cristóbal neighborhoods): Offers workshops in painting, dance, and music to foster cultural identity and creativity.

– Youth Technical-Productive Sector (Caja de Agua and Santa Rosita neighborhoods): Focuses on developing job skills and vocational training for young people.

– Maternal and Child Learning Sector (Tres Compuertas, Villa Mercedes, and Vista Alegre neighborhoods): Provides a toy library for children and a mothers’ club to support family learning and community care.

Through these interventions, access to San Cristóbal Hill is structured from its entry points, activating vitality in the mid-slope zone while reinforcing the hill’s role as both a citywide viewpoint and a cultural landmark.

Conclusion: Ultimately, the project illustrates how integrated urban planning can offer effective solutions to the challenges of hillside settlements. Replicating and adapting such initiatives in other contexts can contribute to building more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable cities.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]