Central ABQ
Community Planning Area (CPA) Assessment
About
The Central ABQ CPA is centrally located in Albuquerque, spanning the area between I-25 and the Rio Grande and between I-40 and the city’s boundary with the County. Many of the city’s museums, cultural facilities, and entertainment venues are located in Central ABQ. It is home to many neighborhoods, including EDo, Barelas, South Broadway, Martineztown, Wells Park, Raynolds Addition, and Sawmill. Central ABQ’s topography is characterized by the Rio Grande and Bosque. The maps and data below provide an overview of some of the key information and metrics for the Central ABQ CPA.
The City of Albuquerque’s Community Planning Area (CPA) assessment process will work with residents and businesses throughout the city to describe what is working or not working in different parts of town and talk about how to enhance what is going right. We hope that community members will take ownership of the process and use the data on this page to guide conversations about future development, revitalization, and growth.
Demographics
Albuquerque is home to a diverse and growing population, and every CPA has its own distinct mix of people. Let's get to know Central ABQ residents a little better.
Community Assets
Albuquerque has a diverse history and culture, reflected in the public facilities; parks, open space, and trails; transportation network; and heritage sites and resources.
Schools and Community Facilities
The facilities and services that serve a community impact quality of life and access to resources and community benefits.
There are 7 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school in the CPA. The elementary schools are dispersed throughout the CPA, Washington MS is located in the Raynolds Addition neighborhood, and Albuquerque HS is located in the Martineztown neighborhood.
Albuquerque Public Schools “walk zones,” seen on the map in purple, represent areas where APS does not provide bus service because students could theoretically walk to school. Walk zones generally include areas within a specified distance from each school (1 mile for elementary, 1.5 miles for middle and K-8, and 2 miles for high schools), but also take into account barriers to walking, like major streets that may be difficult or dangerous to cross.
The Central ABQ CPA has many community facilities, including 5 community centers, 1 senior center, 1 health and social service center, 2 fire stations, 3 libraries, 2 police stations, 9 sports-related facilities, 3 museums, and 6 cultural facilities. Some of the cultural facilities in Central ABQ include the ABQ BioPark Zoo, Aquarium and Botanic Garden, South Broadway Cultural Center, and National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Public art is another community asset that helps express the character and history of an area. Visit the City's public art webpage to find public art in the Central ABQ CPA.
Parks, Open Space, and Bikeways
Parks, open space, and trails for people to walk and bike contribute to quality of life, as well as the health of residents. Some of the parks in Central ABQ CPA include Santa Barbara-Martinez Park and Robinson Park. There are also several parks next to community centers, such as South San Jose Park next to Jack Candelaria Community Center. Central ABQ also includes a network of trails throughout the Rio Grande Valley State Park along the east side of the river, which includes Paseo del Bosque Trail, Rio del Norte Trail, and other multi-use trails.
There are approximately 4.79 acres of park land per 1,000 residents in the Central ABQ CPA.
There are approximately 23.35 acres of open space per 1,000 residents in the Central ABQ CPA.
Additionally, nearly twenty miles of trails can be explored in Central ABQ.
Landmarks and Historic Places
Albuquerque has a rich history - landmarks and historic places highlight key physical characteristics and important cultural resources in each CPA. Central ABQ has many historic sites since its one of the oldest areas in the city. Old Town has existed since Albuquerque’s founding in 1706, and New Town, which we now know as Downtown, formed around the arrival of the railroad in the 1880’s.
There are 14 landmarks, 169 registered historic places, and 46 registered historic districts in the Central ABQ CPA. These historic sites are representative of the many important periods in the area’s history and include the San Felipe De Neri Church, Barelas-South Fourth Street Historic District, Kimo Theater, and El Vado Motel.
Historic Route 66 also transects Central ABQ; Fourth Street was the original Route 66 and was re-routed in 1937 to its current route on Central Avenue.
Transportation
Connections between the places that residents live, work, play, and learn is key to enhancing quality of life.
There are 243 transit stops and 14 transit stations throughout Central ABQ. These stops and stations include many ABQ Ride routes and 2 Rio Metro routes. Many of the ABQ Ride routes that serve various parts of the city connect to the Alvarado Transportation Center, including the ART Green Line and Red Line Routes which run along Central Avenue. The Downtown Albuquerque Rail Runner Station is also located at the Alvarado Transportation Center. Visit cabq.gov/transit for resources about using public transportation.
Central ABQ is also served by I-40 to the north and I-25 to the east.
The bike network in the Central ABQ CPA consists of various bike routes, including a bike boulevard along Silver Avenue, 14th Street, and Mountain Road, and buffered bike lanes along parts of Lead, Coal, and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenues. It also includes the City’s 50 Mile Activity Loop through downtown, Old Town, and along the Rio Grande. Visit cabq.gov/bike for resources about biking in Albuquerque.
Residents in Central ABQ predominately commute to work by driving alone (76%), but Central ABQ residents also use public transit (4%) and walked to work (5%) at slightly higher rates than in other areas of the city.
The Vision Zero Initiative addresses traffic safety in the city. Visit cabq.gov/visionzero for more information, including the High Fatal and Injury Network (HFIN) for the Albuquerque Area.
Community Health
How our communities grow and change has long term environmental, quality of life, and public health impacts. Growth patterns also affect our long-term ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, as well as the resilience and sustainability of our community.
Neighborhoods and Parks
Neighborhood Associations are one way that communities can advocate for their residents and have a voice in decision making.
There are 23 recognized Neighborhood Associations that represent nearly all of the geographic area of the Central ABQ CPA. Visit cabq.gov/onc for more information about neighborhood associations.
There are approximately 4.79 acres of park land per 1,000 residents in the Central ABQ CPA.
There are approximately 23.35 acres of open space per 1,000 residents in the Central ABQ CPA.
Air Quality
The City tracks air quality permits, which represent stationary sources of air pollution, including factories, refineries, boilers, and power plants, that emit a variety of air pollutants. This is one indicator of potential community health risks. There are many other factors that may impact overall community health that will be explored through the CPA assessment process.
As of 2019, there were 125 Air Quality Permits for sites in the Central ABQ CPA. Visit https://www.cabq.gov/airquality/contact-us to learn more about the Air Quality Program.
The U.S. EPA has a useful mapping tool ( EJ Screen ) to better understand environmental hazards and their impacts on different populations. In addition to air pollution, this map shows a wide range of pollution types and sources, and provides a wide range of demographic information that can be added as layers to the map. This context is important because low-income households and populations of color have historically borne a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental, and commercial operations or policies.
The NM Community Data Collaborative has a great gallery of maps and resources about community health.
Land Use and Development
Each CPA has unique assets, development patterns, businesses, and industries that contribute to the character of its neighborhoods, provide employment, and offer goods and services to residents and visitors.
There are a number of different ways that the City can help support economic development. See this Economic Development Incentives map for more information about some of these resources.
Land Use
From shaping housing options to determining air quality, land use shapes how community members experience a place.
There are many land use types in the Central ABQ CPA. Single-family and multi-family residential uses are spread throughout the CPA. Non-residential uses include office and industrial uses. Office uses are primarily located in the downtown core, and industrial uses are generally located in the northern-most and southern-most portions of Central ABQ.
The majority of building permits issued were for residential uses, but the number of commercial building permits was relatively comparable.
Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) Zoning
Zoning regulations determine what kinds of development can happen on a given property, including uses and development standards.
Just as there are many land use types, there are also many zone districts in the Central ABQ CPA. The downtown core and some corridors extending from it are zoned mixed-use while single-family zones are primarily west of the downtown core and south of Central Avenue between I-25 and the rail corridor. Industrial zones are primarily located along the rail corridor and Sawmill spur.
There were 100 variance requests in the Central ABQ CPA in 2019. There were 19 rezoning application requests.
Visit the IDO Interactive Map for more detailed zoning information.
The first assessment in the Central ABQ CPA is underway and will be completed fall of 2023.
Check in with the team that is leading the assessment by emailing CentralABQ-CPA@cabq.gov .
The City of Albuquerque has 12 Community Planning Areas (CPAs). Between 2021 and 2027, City staff and local communities are working together to gather data, inventory assets, and create an action plan for each CPA. The assessment process will help figure out what each community needs and how to get there. Visit the CPA website for more information
