Dave Leland continues to lead projects in conjunction with Leland Consulting Group following his transition (not retirement!) to Mexico. In the fall of 2014 he served as the International Workshop Chairman for Public Realm Strategies and Improvements for the Distrito Valle del Campestre (DVC), an affluent mixed-use district in the municipality of San Pedro Garza Garcia, a suburb of Monterrey, Mexico. April Chastain, Associate and Wally Hobson, Senior Advisor of Leland Consulting Group accompanied Dave to the weeklong workshop with local and regional leaders, transit specialists, property owners, and many, many others to provide strategic advice for moving the town center vision forward. The DVC vision starts with the statement, “Our community is the most valuable thing we have.” Leadership within the DVC is implementing a paradigm shift toward a more walkable, safe, inclusive, and engaged community, and away from an insular, auto-dominated environment Beginning with an interconnected mobility plan developed by Mobility-In-Chain, an Italian firm with a global mobility practice and the international landscape and architectural firm of Sasaki Associates, the DVC will transform to a more open, accessible, intergenerational space within the public realm and better transit and transportation access for the region and broader community. Please see the link below for a short bilingual video overview of their manifesto.
Leland Consulting Group’s work in San Pedro Garza Garcia began over five years ago with a master plan for Arboleda, a mixed-use development managed and financed by Capital Natural, an investment firm involved in high quality mixed-use city building. The first major building, Sofia, a 39-story high-rise residential and office tower designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, has been completed. Several other buildings are currently under construction including a variety of housing, office space, retail and a number of restaurants, along with a strong community outreach component including monthly movies on the lawn and a local food truck festival organized around a central community center. Dave continues to serve as urban strategist and development advisor to Capital Natural on this and other major projects. He is based in the Central Highlands of Mexico in San Miguel de Allende.
Dave Leland and Wally Hobson in the Sofia building overlooking the DVC.