Albuquerque Rail Yards I Albuquerque, New Mexico

Guillermo Aguilar, AIA served as the architect and planner on a multidisciplinary advisory panel tasked with evaluating access and redevelopment opportunities for Albuquerque’s historic rail stations.

Sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, the City of Albuquerque, the WHEELS Museum, and the School of Architecture at the University of New Mexico, the panel evaluated the site and its historic structures in the context of the city and its neighborhoods. They issued recommendations for the redevelopment of the Santa Fe Station as well as economically viable commercial and housing areas.

Planning and design guidelines included the use of multi-level outdoor spaces to serve as gathering points that promote community integration. Given the rail yards' location between two communities, Barelas and South Broadway, a primary goal of the redevelopment was to encourage connectivity and provide adequate public linkages and amenities for residents. This was achieved by designing a “paseo system” to accommodate pedestrian and bicycle access to both neighborhoods, the stations, and downtown Albuquerque. The final report and planning recommendations have been published by the Urban Land Institute.