Self-convened neighbors and social organizations of the City of Buenos Aires carried out a “traffic light” this Friday in rejection of different urban projects of the Buenos Aires Government, understanding that they “attack the identity of the neighborhoods.”
The protest took place at the intersection of Álvarez Thomas and Forest avenues, where neighborhood groups from Villa Ortúzar, Villa del Parque, Villa Devoto, Núñez, Belgrano, Colegiales, Coghlan, Saavedra and Caballito gathered.
The demonstrators took advantage of the moments when motorists stopped vehicles for the red light of the traffic light to unfurl posters with legends such as “Parks are lacking. There are plenty of towers”, “Stop destroying our neighborhoods” and “Less cement and more green”.
The main questioning that encompassed most of the groups was linked to the new Urban Code, prepared by the Buenos Aires Government in 2018which modified the permitted heights of new constructions in the district, which had an impact on areas characterized by having low houses.
“The new works threaten the identity of our neighborhood,” he said. Matías Amica, a resident of Núñez.
Jorge Olivo, from Saavedraremarked that “the Code expanded the heights and types of land use, which made it possible to erect buildings of up to six or eight stories in neighborhoods where three were previously allowed.”
“We lose quality of life and also historical heritage,” he remarked.
For its part, Carolina, from Colegiales, He said that in his neighborhood “many posters are seen with notice of demolition of old houses and there are blocks where there are up to three or four construction works at the same time.”
During the protest, The neighbors also rejected the initiative of the Buenos Aires administration to generate a 500-meter-long stream in Saavedra Park, as well as criticizing the linear park on Honorio Pueyrredón avenue in Caballito.
