Walking through the city, I've realized there are areas that no longer need more analysis.
They need clarity.
They need direction.
Evitamiento and Nicolás Ayllón is one of them.
For years we've read it as a complex intersection, with heavy traffic and dynamics that are hard to bring order to.
But if we change how we read it… it's one of the nodes where the city is already concentrating
Flows.
Connectivity.
Exchange.
Infrastructure like Lima Metro Line 2
That's not a problem.
it's the starting point of a centrality
And once a place reaches that level of concentration…
the question stops being how we manage it
and becomes how we design it
That's where the Metropolitan Planning Institute, through the Lima East Urban Development Plan (PDU), has a real opportunity to add value to the city.
Not just by bringing order…
but by defining how these nodes get built
Here are 5 decisions that, in my view, could make a real difference at this point in Lima:
1. Recognize the node as an urban centrality
It's not just a road intersection.
it's a metropolitan meeting point
Defining it as a centrality makes it possible to better steer density, uses, and investment toward where the flows already exist.
2. Design a continuous network of public space
This isn't about adding isolated interventions.
it's about connecting
Pedestrian axes, safe crossings, and transit-linked spaces that function as a system.
Walkability shows up when there's continuity, not scattered points.
3. Integrate sustainable mobility as part of the system
Pedestrians, bikes, public transport, and micromobility shouldn't compete.
they should coexist
That means designing the space for every mode, not just the car.
4. Activate ground floors and promote real mixed use
The city doesn't happen inside buildings.
it happens on the street
Active frontages, retail, and services give urban space life, safety, and staying power.
5. Build urban logistics into the design
A topic that's not very visible… but is key.
the city also needs to be supplied
Organizing freight, integrating micro-hubs, and reducing delivery friction significantly improves the urban experience.
If these decisions come together properly at a node like this one…
it doesn't just improve mobility.
it improves how we experience the city
And when that happens:
walkability shows up
people stay longer
and real urban value gets built
So, beyond how we see this place today…
the question we should really be asking is a different one:
How do we want this place to be lived in over the coming years?
Because the answer to that question… doesn't just define a node.
it defines where Lima starts to evolve
When the challenge isn't analysis but decision-making, that's where an outside perspective comes in — the approach I bring to mentoring for founders, managers, and leadership teams.
