A Mexican City with World-Class Walkable Urbanism

Can you think of a North American city center with better pedestrian infrastructure? I’m not sure I can name one. Historic cities in car-dependent societies can struggle to limit cars in their historic cores, making their oldest neighborhoods some of their most unpleasant to walk in and letting their great urban fabric go to waste by overdesigning their streets for cars. But in Central Mexico, one city far off the tourist circuit stands out for its exemplary street design, centering the experience of pedestrians and keeping its ornate urban fabric in the spotlight. San Luis offers a standout example of what cities in car-centric societies can do to filter traffic in their oldest neighborhoods, and the solutions are remarkably simple, with adaptable lessons for historic cities across the globe. Join me on a tour of San Luis, to see how you don’t need a car-lite city to have a people-first city center. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:08 Geography & History 2:05 Fantastic Street Design 3:53 Plaza de Armas 4:46 Jardín de San Francisco 5:15 San Augustín 5:32 Architectural Styles 6:11 Plaza del Carmen 6:39 Neighborhoods to the North 7:28 Plaza Fundadores 7:59 Critiques of San Luis 8:38 Night Falls on San Luis 9:24 Intercity Rail 10:19 Future Tourism Hotspot? 11:20 Conclusion 12:15 In the next video... Filmed in San Luis Potosí on October 1-2, 2023.