“Picture a town born from iron and dreams”. That’s Pueblo Nuevo. It is a place in Buenos Aires. This Argentine town’s story is intertwined with the railway’s arrival.
In 1885 two railway companies reached Junín. One was the Buenos Aires al Pacífico railroad. This company shaped the city. It installed railway workshops in 1886. These workshops were away from the town center.
The railway boosted urban growth and population. Immigrants arrived mainly from Italy and Spain. They sought work in the railway workshops. They had visions of progress.
Early in the 20th century Junín had three distinct areas. The first was Junín. It was near the fort now called Pueblo Viejo. Then there was Pueblo Nuevo. It lay between the two railway lines. Finally, there was Tierra del Fuego or Villa Belgrano. It is now Barrio Belgrano. Workers and railway employees settled there too.
The land for the railways was divided into plots. They were sold for people to build on. Pueblo Nuevo emerged between the tracks. It stretched from plots 54 to 63. It also included part of plot 169. José A. Lagos surveyed the area in 1873.
The name Pueblo Nuevo means “New Town”. It was named that way to contrast with the existing “Old Town”. Pueblo Nuevo expanded closer to the center. The area is about 52.2 hectares. About 3418 people live there. This is 4.3% of the city’s total population. They live in 1324 homes. These homes are in 46 mixed-use blocks and a plaza. The gross density is 65.5 inhabitants per hectare. The net density is 91.6 inhabitants per hectare.
Pueblo Nuevo stands as a testament to Argentina’s past. It shows the impact of railways on communities. It reminds us how immigration and industry shaped cities.