Paseo de la Reforma

• 1. Imperial Origins And Design

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  In 1864, Emperor Maximilian I installed himself in Chapultepec Castle with his wife Empress Carlota. He ordered the creation of a grand avenue to connect the palace to the city center. Austrian mining engineer Ferdinand von Rosenzweig designed this new boulevard. The project aimed to imitate European boulevards like the Ringstraße in Vienna and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The original name was Paseo de la Emperatriz, honoring the empress. The route began 1.5 kilometers west of the Zócalo, Mexico City's main square. It ended at the bottom of the royal residential area at Chapultepec Castle. Two vehicle paths were planned, each 9 meters wide. A central island measured 1.5 meters wide. Pedestrian side paths were also 9 meters wide on either side. The land was reclaimed lake bed from Lake Texcoco. Soil saltiness caused concern about supporting lush vegetation. The city government opposed the plan initially. Agricultural land owners along the route resisted the construction. Despite opposition, work began between 1864 and 1865. Only one part of the original 3.15-kilometer project was completed during that time. That section was 20 meters wide. Sidewalks were not considered necessary then. No buildings lined the boulevard at first.

• 2. Republican Renaming And Expansion

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  The Second Mexican Empire fell in 1867. Maximilian was executed shortly after. The Restored Republic renamed the avenue Calzada Degollado to honor General Santos Degollado. In 1872, it became Paseo de la Reforma. This change honored the liberal Reform movement. Work continued on tree-lined pedestrian medians between el Caballito and the Palm Tree Roundabout. Francisco P. Herrera oversaw this phase under the Ministry of Development. An eight-meter bridge was built at Hacienda de la Teja between 1872 and 1876. Eucalyptus, ash trees, and willows were planted along the route. Four monumental roundabouts called glorietas were constructed between the Palm Tree Roundabout and Avenida Juárez. Upscale subdivisions emerged on its flanks. Colonia Americana became today's Colonia Juárez. Colonia Cuauhtémoc also developed nearby. The French style of the area led to frequent comparisons with Paris. By 1870, tree-lined medians existed between key points. The avenue officially opened to the public on the 17th of February 1867. It remained exclusive to the imperial court until that date.

• 3. Porfirian Statuary Program

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  Liberal general Porfirio Díaz seized presidential power in 1876. He supported embellishing the Paseo de la Reforma with statuary representing Mexico's heroes. Vicente Riva Palacio served as Minister of Development from 1876 to 1879. He helped raise the capital's profile through these projects. The first monument erected was the Monument to Christopher Columbus. Wealthy Mexican railway magnate commissioned it in 1873. French sculptor Charles Cordier executed it in France. It stood in place by 1877. Liberals found its religious iconography objectionable. A second statue to Columbus appeared elsewhere in the capital in 1892. The Monument to Cuauhtémoc was a planned installation. The monument to Independence was inaugurated in 1910 during centennial celebrations of the Hidalgo revolt. Major intersections became traffic roundabouts housing statues. These honored persons and events in Mexican history. Most statues honor Mexican liberals. Absent are statues of prominent conservatives like Antonio López de Santa Anna. Lucas Alamán also lacks a statue on the avenue. No statue exists for Porfirio Díaz himself, despite his long rule from 1876 to 1911. The regime was overthrown by the Mexican Revolution.

• 4. Modern Skyscraper Renaissance

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  Mexico City's government started a renewal program for Paseo de la Reforma in 2003. It included maintenance of existing gardens and creation of new ones. Intensive cleaning swept streets and sidewalks daily. New pink quarry sidewalks and benches were installed. Access bays formed at the Zoo, lake, and Modern Art Museum. New lighting systems were added throughout. The monument to Cuauhtémoc moved to the crossing of Avenida de los Insurgentes and Paseo de la Reforma. Prism-shaped concrete structures with plants filled medians. A double-deck bus called Turibus established a touristic route from Chapultepec Park to the Historic Center. Many banks and businesses left for the Santa Fe business district in the last decade. Remarkable buildings built recently include Torre Mayor. Torre HSBC stands in the Ángel roundabout. Torre Libertad features a St. Regis Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel in the Diana fountain roundabout. Reforma 222 designed by Teodoro González de León opened near Havre Street. Mixed-used developments include a Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Residences. A Park Hyatt Hotel & Residences also opened nearby. In 2019, Shake Shack opened its first Mexican restaurant on Reforma before the Angel of Independence. Five skyscrapers rose between Chapultepec Park entrance and the Diana Huntress Fountain during the 2010s.

• 5. Civic Rituals And Public Space

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  Reforma serves as a common location for Mexicans to celebrate or protest. Most protest rallies travel along Reforma from the Angel of Independence to the Zócalo. Others go from the Zócalo to Los Pinos. Mexico City Pride parades make their way through the avenue. The Angel of Independence roundabout is an iconic representative of the city. It hosts celebrations of national football team victories during World Cups. Motor vehicle traffic shuts down most Sundays from 8am to 2pm. This occurs as part of the Paseo Dominical Muévete en bici program. The route includes Paseo de la Reforma. The program runs except the last Sunday each month. The avenue houses offices ranging from the Mexican Federal Government to banks. Brokerage houses occupy newer buildings showing contemporary styles. Art Deco and functionalist IMSS buildings remain artistically notable. The Paseo reoriented city expansion toward areas open to middle and upper-class development. It separated these groups from poorer indigenous residents in the colonial core. Few original houses built in European architectural styles remain today. Office blocks replaced them over the years. Scattered buildings show opulence enjoyed by elites during Porfirio Díaz' regime.