Clara Brugada, head of government in Mexico City, announced a comprehensive plan to transform the Historic Center with 52 kilometers of super lighting, social housing, and urban reorganization ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The initiative aims to enhance security, repopulate the area, and reclaim public spaces. Brugada stressed that the center should be a place to live, not just a tourist spot.
Clara Brugada unveiled details of her plan for Mexico City's Historic Center during a housing project handover event. The announcement features super lighting for 52 kilometers of streets, launched weeks ago, to boost pedestrian safety and deter illicit activities. "A few weeks ago, the Historic Center lighting program started. We will super-illuminate 52 kilometers of streets in the city's Historic Center and transform it," Brugada stated.
The initial intervention will target San Jerónimo Street with intense, permanent lighting and a redesign into the area's first ludi-street, prioritizing recreational spaces for children and youth. The plan also includes special uniforms for police dedicated to the zone as a security measure. "We will even have police officers uniformed in a special way to attend to the Historic Center," the leader said.
On housing, the goal is to build 3,000 new units annually to reverse depopulation and gentrification, accompanied by a fair rents law and subsidies for low-income families. Reorganization will cover reclaiming plazas, monuments, and facades, regulating street vending, and integrating indigenous communities.
These initiatives align with preparations for the 2026 World Cup, expected to draw thousands of visitors, and support projects like the center-exclusive Centrobús, Metro upgrades, and Tren Ligero improvements. Brugada emphasized the duty to fully restore the area: "It is our obligation that the Historic Center be integrally recovered; recovered in the public way, with adequate urban image; with public spaces. All the plazas of the Historic Center will be recovered and all their sculptures and cultural wealth."