Arbolera de Vida Master Development Plan

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Client: Sawmill Advisory Council (SAC)

Arbolera de Vida is located on the site of a former sawmill near the heart of Albuquerque’s Old Town historic district. Amidst industrial contamination from the property and environs, which included air pollution and groundwater with traces of formaldehyde, benzene, asbestos and fuel oils, Sawmill-area residents mobilized to protect their health, homes and way of life. With persistence and courage, this grassroots organization took charge of the community’s destiny and succeeded in the clean-up of the site and surrounding neighborhood. Successful remediation of the site led the SAC to move forward with community redevelopment efforts, and in 1996, the City of Albuquerque signed an agreement with SAC enabling them to control the redevelopment planning process.

The council chose a team of sustainable design consultants led by Design Workshop to define a vision for the site, identify principles for the development and develop a Master Plan with guidelines for implementation. Design Workshop designed and implemented a special planning process for this project with a particular emphasis on community participation. The inclusive nature of the process led to the creation of a master development plan that features the preferences of the participants and focuses on the integration of social, ecological and economic community principles.