Construction Begins on Texcoco Lake Ecological Park – The World’s Largest Urban Park in Mexico City

Construction just began on the first phase of <a href="http://www.parquetexcoco.com/en/opportunity/" target="_blank">El Parque Ecologico Lago de Texcoco</a>, or Texcoco Lake Ecological Park in Mexico City, which is poised to be the world's largest urban park! Designed by architect and landscape urbanist <a href="http://inakiecheverria.com/" target="_blank">Inaki Echeverria</a>, this grand vision is a world-class example of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/siemens-the-crystal-is-dedicated-to-improving-urban-sustainability-in-london/" target="_blank">ecological renovation</a> that encompasses 11% of Mexico City’s metropolitan area and covers a whopping 145 million square meters - and it will serve many of the city's municipal water needs while providing recreation and wildlife habitat areas.

This gigantic park, being designed by Echeverria, is planned to be 145 million square meters and will encompass 11% of Mexico City’s metropolitan area.

The Texcoco region has been engineered by humans for centuries to create dikes and canals to channel Mexico City’s water and lakes as early as the 1400s under Aztec Emperor Montezuma.

In 1971, a presidential decree ordered the creation of the Texcoco Lake Commission that successfully created a large territorial reserve that is currently considered a non-renewable resource and one that must be protected, cherished and nurtured.

And thus the Texcoco Lake Ecological Park has been imagined and is being implemented as an enormous ecological, social and infrastructure project.

Programming includes ecological zones, agricultural zones, wetlands, energy production zones, 40,000,000 cubic meters of watersports, 4500 hectacres of reforestation.

Various museums will also be a part of the park as part of its cultural amenities.

Cutting-edge pavilions are also envisioned to be places of gathering and education for patrons.

As this region is key to the hydrological systems of Mexico City, the park will serve as part of the city’s water infrastructure with 11 rivers, 14 canals for waste water, 4 water treatment plants and 5 lakes.

It will also restore the habitat of 300,000 migratory birds and 153 different species.

This month, REFORMA, a Mexican journal, announced the construction of the park's first phase.