Juárez, Ciudad Juárez (FUA), Mexico
City population: 2539946
Duration: 2020 – 2022
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 400000 m2
Type of area: Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: September 2024

Parque Central Hermanos Escobar had been neglected for years, but in 2022, it was fully reopened following a public investment aimed at redesigning some of its features. The renovations provided better amenities, new and improved recreational opportunities, and enhanced the city's resilience to flooding and water stress. Although the park already had a dedicated blue space, the renovations increased permeable surfaces (e.g., parking lots) and boosted its water retention capacity with cisterns, stormwater basins, and an artificial lake designed to function "like a natural one" (Ref 1). The artificial lake was one of the most anticipated additions with a depth of one meter and being used for recreational purposes. It is supplied with water from the existing treatment plant in the park’s western section, which complies with the National Water Commission (Conagua) standards. The lake features recreational facilities, such as boats and a pier, and serves as a habitat for local wildlife, including ducks, turtles, and several amphibian species that have already begun to naturally populate the area. (1,2) Overall, the improvements were intended to enhance the park's recreational offerings while strengthening the city's defenses against flood risks and water shortages. The local community will have a space to relax and enjoy various facilities, including an open-air auditorium, scenic viewpoints, an indoor pool, and a baseball field, among many other features.

Central Park in Ciudad Juarez
Central Park in Ciudad Juarez
https://netnoticias.mx/juarez/renace-el-parque-central

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds
  • Green areas for water management
  • Sustainable urban drainage systems
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Water security
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social cohesion
  • Social justice and equity
  • Social interaction

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Climate-Related Hazards
  • Urban flooding (stormwater)
  • Drought
  • Heat stress & Extreme temperatures

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Creation of lakes or ponds

Project objectives

1. To enhance the recreational purpose of the park while upgrading the resilience of the city to storms and mitigate water stress; 2. To provide the community with a well-maintained, decent space in the center of the city, equipped with new and restored recreational and cultural amenities. 3. To address challenges related to flooding and allow rainwater infiltration by increasing vegetation cover, permeable surfaces and water retention infrastructure ( cisterns, bio trenches in parking lot) 4. To erect an artificial lake that will provide a habitat for the fauna of the lake and will be a point of recreation for the visitors of the park. (Ref 1; 2).

Implementation activities

The renovation focused on 25 areas: 1) In terms of recreation and green space areas: the renovations include dancing water fountains, new children's games and play areas, an indoor pool, areas for catering businesses, a gym, multi-use courts, an open-air theater/auditorium, viewing points, improvements to lighting, additional shaded areas and seating areas, maintaining green areas that had fell into disuse and providing amenities for recreation along blue areas (walking paths, boats and moorings). 2) In terms of improvements to the urban drainage system: -Green parking lot: a biotrench was dug in the 12,000-meter parking lot for storm/rainwater drainage/permeation. -The road surface was improved to move water towards capturing points or permeation areas. -Two rainwater collection basins were built equipped with aerators that allow water to circulate and prevent stagnation. They have the capacity to store the runoff generated by a rainfall of 108.5 millimeters in a period of 24 continuous hours. -To re-use the rainwater, two cisterns were installed, one of 700 cubic meters and another of 300 cubic meters. -An artificial lake was built with a depth of one meter. -The water collected can be re-used for irrigation of the park. The water system is also connected to an existing water treatment facility in the Western section of the park (Ref 1; 2).

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes

Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities

Low-income neighborhoods, Communities located in floodplains

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Regional government

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The project is managed by the State of Chihuahua's Secretary of Public Works, with the restoration work being carried out in collaboration with the municipality of Ciudad Juarez. The state of Chihuahua is the primary source of funding for the project. The project is also funded through the Investment Committee of the Chihuahua "Border Bridges Trust", a regional trust. A private landscaping company designed the rehabilitation of the park. (1,2,3)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (National Plan for Development 2019-2024 (7))
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (State Plan for the Development of Chihuahua (2017-2021), and Developmental Plan for Ciudad Juarez 2016 (7))

Type of enablers

Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public regional budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Achieved increased protection against flooding
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Achieved improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Restoration of derelict areas
  • Achieved restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • More sustainable tourism
  • Achieved more sustainable tourism

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
de la Paz, P. (2021). El Parque Central renovado. Ciudad Juarez: netnoticias.mx, Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
2.
jrzflash (2022). El Parque Central "Historia detrás del mito". Juarez: jrzflash, Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Hernández, D. (2021). Renace el Parque Central. netnoticias.mx, Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Castañón, A. (2020). Aprueban inversión de 185 mdp para Parque Central. El Diario.mx, Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Asi Estamos Juarez (2024). Informe Así Estamos Juárez 2024. Ciudad Juarez: Asi Estamos Juarez, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Google Reviews (n.d.). Parque Central Hermanos Escobar. Google Maps, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Gobierno del Estado (2016). REHABILITACIÓN DEL PARQUE CENTRAL PONIENTE Y ORIENTE . Accessed on September 13, 2024,;
Renovation works
Renovation works
Foto by Antonio Calleja, accessed: https://netnoticias.mx/juarez/el-parque-central-renovado
Parque Central Hermanos Escobar
Parque Central Hermanos Escobar
Foto by Antonio Calleja, accessed: https://netnoticias.mx/juarez/el-parque-central-renovado
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.