The City of Buenos Aires has launched an intervention plan for nine workshops of the Sarmiento railway underground project, which have been abandoned since 2019. The goal is to organize the urban environment, improve security, and reclaim public spaces in the neighborhoods of Flores, Floresta, Villa Luro, and Liniers, affected by deteriorated structures that hinder circulation and generate residents’ complaints.
Unused spaces affecting daily life
The workshops—temporary facilities set up for public works—fell into disuse after the halt of the Sarmiento train underground project.
Today, these structures without utility have damaged fences, occupy sidewalks and roads, and hamper pedestrian connectivity. Additionally, they cause hygiene issues, block visibility between streets, and are a constant concern for residents.
“Reducing these workshops is a way to organize public space and respond to a legitimate demand. Residents should not have to live with abandoned structures that affect their safety,” stated Ignacio Baistrocchi, Minister of Public Space and Urban Hygiene.
A progressive intervention with a direct impact on urban quality
The plan includes shrinking the workshops by half of their size, bringing the fences closer to the edge of the excavations without compromising safety.
This measure allows to free up pedestrian space, organize the environment, and improve urban visibility, especially in areas with high circulation.
The first intervention took place at Yerbal 2400, next to Plaza General Pueyrredón in the Flores neighborhood. Closed metal sheets were removed and a transparent fence was installed, allowing a view from one side of the street to the other and enhancing the security of the surroundings.
Upcoming interventions in critical points of the route
In addition to the already intervened workshop, the Buenos Aires City Government will proceed with interventions at eight other points along the Sarmiento train route:
- Av. Rivadavia 8600
- Cuzco 200
- Bacacay 5600 (Villa Luro Station)
- Venancio Flores 4000 (Floresta Station 1)
- Venancio Flores 4100 (Floresta Station 2)
- Av. Rivadavia 11600 (Liniers Station)
- Yerbal and Condarco
- Terrada 110
All these workshops are in a state of abandonment and will be intervened following the same criteria: fence reduction, recovery of public space, improved visibility, cleanliness, and urban reorganization.
Local response to a national project
Although the Sarmiento underground project is a national competence and cannot be definitively closed by the Buenos Aires City Government, the city decided to address the collateral effects impacting the daily lives of thousands of residents.
The intervention is carried out jointly by the Ministry of Public Space and Urban Hygiene, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the General Directorate of Workshops.
