At 200 metres, it borders the Miter train tracks that run along Victor Pissarro Street in the Núñez district of Commune 13.
Accumulation of trash, debris, unattended waste containers, cars parked on the sidewalk, and vehicular clutter due to double traffic. These were some of the situations that began to worry more and more a group of neighbors from the blocks surrounding the 200 meters adjacent to the Miter train tracks that run along Victor Pisarro Street in the Nuñez neighborhood.
Against this background, and with concern over the issue of insecurity and apparent deterioration on Via Victor Pissarro, the group has taken action on the issue. They got together to talk and went to the commune to ask for help and support for the children who were on the street. But they did not receive any response. In any case, they decided they wanted and could participate in a project that would make the neighborhood a nice place to live.
They want Transform this place into a possible space and get out of pessimism. Citizen care can also be an initiative that contributes to or generates a belonging to public space that is different from that of a mere spectator. There are many cities in Europe where this type of practice is widespread, especially since there are not many green spaces. The motive was to restore the place from a social and environmental perspective.
The perfect moment came when the group of boys who had settled in the place left the place. So, the first thing they did was clean up the garbage, remove the dirt and ask the garbage collection service to move the containers that were placed there. They painted the cordon yellow and, at the direction of the city government, put up a warning sign. No Parking.
We are 80 neighbors came together and raised money They started in March, and since then many people have come to donate plants. Bags of dirt and logs were purchased, plants salvaged and parts received. Little by little, 200 meters of tracks adjacent to the train tracks running from Ramallo to Ruiz Huidobro were covered, and today they are fully landscaped.
In the first months of work, it was necessary to hire a parker. Adding value to such a degraded area requires long days in the sun with pick and shovel in hand. The neighbors also took care to clean and trim the trunk and leaves of the palm tree in the place. And the trees that neighbors have generously planted over the years. To do this, they acquired a saw and a fifteen-metre-high ladder, which is necessary to reach the Kop area. Once the land was leveled, they began planting cactus specimens.
In order to preserve the work being done, paths were made using leaves and netting was put in place to keep dogs out. As part of the improvement plan, there have been purchases such as extra-long hoses that are shared between neighbors and are responsible for watering the entire space. During October, expectations were raised and seeds were planted with the hope that they would flower in the summer. Some of the ones that have already been planted are Cosmos, Godelias, Delphiniums, Zinias, Portulacas, and Carrots.
The neighbors got a meeting in Commune 13 where they were told that those 200 meters were Nowhere. It is not from the trains nor from the municipality. Ferrocarriles Argentinos are responsible for the space between the fence and the paths. On the other side of the fence, it belongs to the city government, which divides that space into communes and provides sidewalks for maintenance. For this reason, a sum of money is allocated to him annually. These paths are not set. It does not appear on the map. That's why they are not from the municipality. But at the same time, the national government does not do maintenance, it only does business.
Pissarro Gardens (@jardinesdepissarro) – so the neighbors called the space they lovingly collected – became, after seven months of work, a A well-known walk to those who frequent the neighborhood, but also to those who occasionally pass by. Whether dog walkers, cyclists, runners or people walking, everyone enjoys two buildings where plants and flowers, fresh air, hummingbirds, bees, parrots, pigeons and other birds give the feeling of immersing themselves for a few minutes in a real green lung in the middle of the city.
The space is also supplemented with a compost bin for leaves and grass and another for vegetables which is literally inadequate and has prompted many to take their unused vegetable scraps there. Soon, with the idea of including different age segments in the neighbourhood, there will be a segmented insect hotel to recreate different spaces with specific characteristics that welcome different types.
