The Distrito La Perla Master Plan envisions the transformation of an underutilized site in Guadalajara—a dormant Kodak manufacturing facility—into the city’s next vibrant, mixed-use destination. The facility was built in the 1960s as a secure, self-sustaining precinct on the periphery of Guadalajara, with little connection to the farmlands that originally surrounded it. As the city developed and grew around the 43-hectare site, the plant remained closed off from the surrounding urban infrastructure. The preliminary master plan for the redevelopment presents an opportunity for reinvention and reconnection.
The project will create a sustainable and highly livable urban district, rooted in the local culture of Guadalajara and representative of the scale and patterns of use that have evolved around the site. The phased redevelopment includes five principal land uses: office, medical, retail, hotel, and housing. These are organized within a network of well-designed streets, civic destinations, public institutions, and richly varied and memorable open spaces that will provide a rewarding experience to those who visit, work, or live there.
The street system is designed to balance the needs of vehicles and pedestrians, prioritizing safe and convenient travel by a variety of transportation modes. The plan’s open space system comprises a series of interconnected parks, plazas, paseos, courtyards, and landscaped streets that create a strong sense of identity and place. These elements form a “green necklace” that links together individual districts. At the heart of the site, the Parque Central provides a place for gathering, entertainment, and relaxation. This great public space will attract and engage a broad cross-section of Guadalajara’s citizens and visitors.
The master plan is designed to meet or exceed the LEED® Gold standard through the preservation and adaptive reuse of existing elements, water conservation measures, and building systems designed for energy efficiency and environmental comfort.
