Paseo de la Reforma, Grand boulevard in Mexico City, Mexico
Paseo de la Reforma is a wide thoroughfare in Mexico City that stretches for several kilometers between Chapultepec Park and the historic downtown. The central promenade is lined with green spaces, monuments and traffic circles with statues, while multiple lanes on each side handle constant automobile flow.
Emperor Maximilian I hired Ferdinand von Rosenzweig around 1860 to plan a grand avenue between his castle and downtown. After the empire fell, the republic kept the boulevard and named it after the political reform movement of that time.
The name comes from the Liberal Reform period in the 19th century and recalls the political changes that shaped the country. Today the boulevard shows the face of a capital caught between traditional monuments and glass towers.
Every Sunday the street is closed to cars and cyclists and walkers can use the entire route. The best light for photos comes in the morning when the sun illuminates the monuments from the east.
On certain days residents plant small trees in the median strips or hang colorful cloth between the statues to raise awareness for environmental causes. These spontaneous actions are often tolerated by police and draw onlookers.
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