October 27, 2025

Three communities in Mexico City, Querétaro, and Estado de México are now brighter, safer, and more welcoming thanks to solar outdoor lighting installed through a partnership with TECHO Mexico. By illuminating streets and public spaces, the project helps residents move freely after dark, strengthens community ties, and creates opportunities for safer outdoor activities.

Classified In many neighborhoods, darkness had limited the ways people could use public spaces. Children couldn’t play safely after sunset, families felt unsafe on the streets, and community areas remained underused. The lack of lighting also created opportunities for crime, intoxicated behavior, and other risks, affecting residents’ sense of security and quality of life. A participatory approach was central to the project, with volunteers and neighbors working together to identify priority areas without street lighting and to take ownership of the installation and maintenance. In Querétaro, for example, neighbors living close to unlit areas were designated to care for the luminaires, and over two months they installed the lights during their free time, guided by those involved in pilot installations. This process also inspired additional improvements: during installation weekends, residents restored access roads to the newly lit areas. These collaborative efforts strengthened safety and accessibility, while fostering a renewed sense of unity, pride, and shared responsibility across the communities.