Puebla
The fourth largest city of Mexico with an approximate 1,540,000 inhabitants, Puebla is distinguished by its steadfast creativity-led development. The local creative economy represents 7.26% of the state GDP, generating 38,663 formal jobs, or 5.4% of jobs in the economically active population (EAP). In line with the national commitment to rely on the immense potential of creativity for sustainable urban renewal, Puebla has, within a five-year period, invested with US $1,250 billion in 1,374 creative projects related to urban design in particular, to improve quality of life through efficient access to urban services, as well as to increase available infrastructure for creative entrepreneurs and creators.
Puebla fosters cross-cutting approaches as highlighted by the unique International Festival of Brilliant Mindswhich, which aims to arouse curiosity by showcasing the most innovative ideas in design, science, technology, politics, education and business. In addition, the flagship city programme, Puebla Capital of Innovation and Design, works toward a multi-stakeholder and multi-level approach of cooperation by involving one hundred people from businesses, academia, civil society and governments in decision-making processes. By working together, they aim to establish common ideas to further promote design as a strategic tool for participatory urban planning, as well as inclusive competitiveness and prosperity.
The municipality is committed to ensuring resilient, safe, human-centred urban development and social stability through creativity. Many initiatives were organised to support this such as the Cebraton project in which the city commissioned local architects to design artistic warning signs on pedestrian crossings, which in turn significantly reduced transit accidents throughout the city. Another flagship project, called Reciclatón Puebla, asked 241 universities and 492 diverse institutions to participate in a campaign of mass recycling to raise awareness on environment sustainability. Puebla is thus well on its way to achieve creativity-led sustainable development.
As a Creative City of Design, Puebla envisages:
- implementing the Model City housing project to foster sustainable urban design, inclusive productivity and social integration, with the overall goal of ensuring a good quality of urban life for all by 2020;
- carrying out the Puebla University Capital; a multistakeholder and multi-level initiative focused on local and regional mechanisms and strategies placing knowledge and education as core enablers for sustainable urban development;
- positioning Puebla as a national and international reference in the field of design with the Puebla Capital of Innovation and Design project, focusing on creative thinking, innovation and design as strategic assets for prosper competitiveness based on participatory governance;
- implementing the Smart Puebla project to comprehensively respond to the needs of citizens in the areas of mobility, urban planning, government, economy, energy, environment, resilience, security, education and health; and
- cooperating actively within the UCCN through multidisciplinary projects allowing cross-cutting approaches for achieving sustainable urban development.
