Ecoducto Options Study by Diagonal Works

Diagonal partnered with Hassell to bring data to their latest research on the benefits and trade-offs of corridor design. We focused on Ecoducto Río de la Piedad, in Mexico City and explored how data visualization may be used to weigh up competing objectives. We focused on an early design decision: where should the entrances into the corridor be located?

We defined three realistic, but unofficial, objectives of the project:

- Cost: make the structural design affordable
- Access: make the Ecoducto accessible to people in the local area
- Proximity: ensure access gates are close to public transit hubs (metro stations)

We approached finding the balance between these three objectives as an optimisation problem. We analysed population demographic data, transport data, and the physical form of the Ecoducto. For example, we drilled into census data to understand how gate selection varied access for an older population (over 64 years old), a younger population (under 15 years old), and people who speak an indigenous language.

Ultimately, design decisions need to be made by people. With evidence that describes the context, and illustrating the outcomes of different scenarios - we aim to give designers better tools to achieve more equitable, sustainable, and cost effective outcomes.