UDA raises 30 ideas to create safe routes

The University of Azuay worked on a pilot plan that was presented to the Citizen Security Council in order to accept these proposals to improve security in the chosen area.

About six months, 40 students and two teachers from the Universidad del Azuay, UDA, worked to propose a pilot plan with 30 alternatives to create safe routes in Cuenca. These ideas were presented to the Citizen Security Council for application.

Improving lighting, mobility, reviving empty areas, improving green spaces, avoiding risks, among other ideas were part of the proposals, said Carla Hermida, research coordinator of the UDA School of Architecture. He mentioned that they did a research and observation work in the area between Tres Puentes and Francisco Moscoso to gather information.

Hermida indicates that the students looked for data on how other countries create these safe routes, including taking their own examples of Cuenca, such as the recovery of the El Barranco area, in the sector of the University of Cuenca.

The Citizen Security Council reported that prior to the presentation of these alternatives, they gave talks to the students that motivated this work.

What most worries students are criminal acts, since robberies of people are the most common crime in Cuenca in the last year, according to a report from the Observatory of Citizen Security of the Security Council. In the 2017, 671 reported for this crime, while in the 2018 they were 790.

Jorge Mera, coordinator of the Citizen Security Observatory, said these figures are only for reported crimes. It recognizes that there are a number of crimes of which they have no record, but indicates that this information is already helpful for institutions, in this case the academy, to propose solutions to these problems.

Hermida indicated that on August 15 they will initiate a larger investigation together with the University of Cuenca and the Catholic University of Ibarra to generate proposals for safe school routes throughout the city.

Security
Next week, the Municipality of Cuenca will hold a security assembly where it will gather criteria to establish solutions to the criminal acts raised this year.

Councilman Cristian Zamora said that there will be 10 exhibitors from several institutions and that social organizations will intervene on the problems they have identified and the proposals they have.

At the end of the assembly they will approve the proposals that are raised throughout the day, Zamora said, in order to find a solution to the problem. (I)

ASSEMBLY. The June 26 the Cantonal Council decided to convene the Cantonal Assembly of Cuenca for security.
PROPOSALS. The University of Azuay presented the proposals to representatives of the CSC.
SOLUTIONS The Government raised two proposals at its security meeting to curb crime in Cuenca.
Through surveys, interviews and observation, students collected data for the plan.
3 universities They will do research on safe school routes in the city.