North I-25
Community Planning Area (CPA) Assessment
About
Stretching from Edith Boulevard to the west and I-25 to the east and between Montaño Road to the south and the city limit to the north, the North I-25 Community Planning Area (CPA) includes both Bernalillo County and City land within its boundaries. The land within city boundaries is largely business parks, light and heavy manufacturing, and other commercial ventures, many of which are big-box stores and companies. At the northwestern edge of the CPA, the Balloon Fiesta Park and Museum host millions of visitors per year, attracting a wide variety of infill development to help accommodate and capture the economic potential of this special event. Much of this development comes in the form of hotels and other overnight accommodations. While there is ample open space and park space for balloonists to land their balloons within this CPA, there is also a great deal of potential for other kinds of development, such as the Top Golf development that was recently constructed at the southern edge of the 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 North I-25 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.
Mission Avenue Elementary School serves the area. 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 Albuquerque International Balloon Museum can be explored virtually and regularly hosts field trips for students. The North I-25 CPA has no police or fire stations, and no libraries.
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 North I-25 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. Balloon Fiesta Park is the largest park in the city, and several smaller parks serve the southern area as well.
There is a total of 427.56 acres of park land in the area. Because of the Balloon Fiestas Park's size, there are 47.7 acres of park land per 1,000 North I-25 residents.
13 miles of paved trails cross the North I-25 CPA.
Landmarks and Historic Places
Albuquerque has a rich history - landmarks and historic places highlight key physical characteristics and important cultural resources in each CPA. The Balloon Fiesta Park is a cultural highlight of the whole city, and preserves and promotes an important cultural asset.
There are 2 registered historic places within the city limits, and over a dozen registered historic buildings and landmarks in the county land west of the CPA boundary. Many of these sites are homes, testaments to the deep history and assets than have been passed down generation to generation in this area.
Transportation
Connections between the places that residents live, work, play, and learn is key to enhancing quality of life.
Jefferson Street, Paseo Del Norte Boulevard, and Alameda Boulevard all have high-frequency transit service. Visit cabq.gov/transit for resources about using public transportation.
84.1% of commuters in the North I-25 Area drive alone to work, while less than 2% use active transportation.
Over a dozen miles of paved trails cross the area, and an additional 10 miles of bike lane and 5 miles of bike routes also serve active transportation needs. Visit cabq.gov/bike for resources about biking in Albuquerque.
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.
Neighborhood associations located within this CPA include Alameda North Valley, El Camino Real, Vista Del Norte Alliance, and Wildflower Area. Other community groups within this area include the and the Sun North Estates Property Owners' Association Incorporated. These associations cover most of the residential land in the area.
Visit cabq.gov/onc for more information about neighborhood associations.
In addition to Balloon Fiesta Park, Alameda Little League Park, Paseo De Estrella, Bernardo Trails, and Vista Del Norte parks serve the area.
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 89 Air Quality Permits for sites in the North I-25 CPA. Visit cabq.gov/airquality 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.
The most common land use in the North I-25 CPA is industrial, which covers over 20% of the area. Office and Commercial Retail are also common land uses. Less than 10% of the area is covered by residences.
All of the 25 building permits issued in 2018 and 2019 were for non-residential development.
Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) Zoning
Zoning regulations determine what kinds of development can happen on a given property, including uses and development standards.
About 15% of the area has residential or mixed-use zoning. The rest is largely Non-Residential Business Park or Light Manufacturing.
In 2019 there was 1 rezoning application request and 8 variance and appeals in the North I-25 area.
Visit the IDO Interactive Map for more detailed zoning information.
The first assessment in the North I-25 CPA will take place in 2025.
You can contact the team working on the North I-25 CPA Assessment by emailing NorthI-25-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
