HLA collaborated with urban planers ARISTA and consultant Andrew Strenk, plus a multidisciplinary team of professionals: branding, architects, traffic engineers, local authorities, to create from the scratch a complete urban and open space plan for a new town center in Saltillo.    HLA and the architects traveled with clients to visit urban develpments and town centers similar in size and climate in California  and  Phoenix in order to sensibilize the client with narrower street widths, wide sidewalks, bike paths, parking standards, street trees, rain gardens, open spaces and other elements of a more sustainable and livable street and city.        While ARISTA developed the land use plan and urban guidelines from a base layout developed by architects, HLA worked with the branding artist’s  graphic concept to create a streetscape design that was inspired in local crafts and visually very strong.   The graphics of the “zarapes” was taken into the paving design for main street intersections and pedestrian crossings.   Stormwater management based in LID (Low impact development) principles was used to design the streets: green streets densely arborized, rain gardens, no curbs, public transportantion, bike paths, unique urban furniture, wide sidewalks and interconected open space system.   A guidelines illustrated manual based on LID, SITES and “green streets” was produced for the client to guide the entire streetscape design.  A central park and plaza were designed as the social heart of the new town.