Sunland Park, New Mexico, is hoping to use

Sunland Park, New Mexico, is hoping to use new urbanist principles to plan a new downtown district at the border crossing to Juarez, Mexico. Veronica Rosales, director of community development for the 14,250-person municipality, says that “despite the media hype about immigration and security concerns,” residents of the area do not see the border as “a battle zone divided.” Rather, Rosales says, they envision a downtown that would contain amenities appealing to people on both sides of the international boundary. In September Rosales requested proposals from firms interested in preparing a master plan and design guidelines for the city’s future “Entertainment Corridor and Downtown Border Crossing Districts.” Sunland Park, directly west of El Paso, currently lacks a downtown, and is looking to create one that will include a mix of uses, offer street connectivity, and be comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as motorists. One of the responsibilities of the planning firm chosen for the project will be consideration of “pedestrian-friendly amenities within the Master Plan area using New Urbanism principles,” the RFP states. Proposals were due Oct. 9.