Last updated: October 2024
The Metropolitan Linear Park is a project initiated by the national government of Bolivia, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) (1-8). The proposed park will be located along a disused railway corridor between the cities of La Paz and El Alto, spanning 18.2 km (8, p. 8). The project involves the construction of a linear park, divided into five sections, each with distinct objectives, uses, and designs (8, p. 9). This large-scale initiative aims to improve access to public spaces in La Paz and El Alto, enhance connectivity between the two cities, protect surrounding biodiversity and natural spaces, and strengthen resilience to and mitigate the effects of climate change (3 & 8, pp. 11-12). To achieve these goals, the project design includes outdoor sports and recreational facilities, pedestrian and cycling circuits, as well as the restoration of parks, squares, and public spaces adjacent to the park corridor (8, p. 9). Some features include balcony corridors, flower and food-producing urban gardens, and viewpoints (5). The project also plans for the re-vegetation of the area with native species and aims to stop the environmental degradation of surrounding natural environments, such as the Pura Pura forest, which has been suffering from ongoing deforestation and waste dumping (8, p. 9). These efforts are expected to increase and support biodiversity in the area (7 & 8, p. 12). Additionally, the project emphasizes social inclusion, with policies designed to incorporate women, indigenous populations, and persons with disabilities (8, pp. 7-8). The park is intended to raise awareness about climate change and biodiversity, ultimately improving the quality of life and health of nearby residents and the citizens of La Paz and El Alto (8, p. 13).
Digital simulation of the park
https://oficinaurbana.com.ar/project/parque-lineal-metropolitano-la-paz-el-alto-bolivia/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Green corridors and green belts
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Soil quality improvement
- Waste management
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Improving physical health
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social justice and equity
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Forest fires and wildfires
- Landslides & mudslides
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Deforestation and forest degradation
- Soil degradation and loss
- Air pollution
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Physical health harm (from pollution, wildfire, extreme temperature)
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Social fragmentation and isolation
- Insecurity in public spaces
- Other
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of green corridors (including connectivity between urban and rural ecosystems), Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Soil remediation and revegetation, Remediation activities of sites with very poor environmental quality, Ecological restoration of existing green spaces, Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat restoration, Habitat conservation, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Introduction of NBS governance practices involving marginalised groups, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Species-specific monitoring and conservation programs
Project objectives
To improve access to quality public spaces and sustainable connectivity between La Paz and El Alto (3 & 8, p. 11).
To promote the conservation of important natural environments for strengthening resilience and mitigating climate change in the area and control dump-wasting (1 & 3 & 4 & 8, p. 11).
To build capabilities for future park management, operating through a gender and diversity approach (8, p. 12).
To promote leisure and recreational activities to improve the health of local residents and citizens of the area (8, p. 8).
To improve social integration, cohesion and interaction by promoting greater urban equity (8, p. 8).
To foster healthier lifestyles through pedestrian and bike circuits, which are also expected to reduce emissions (8, p. 5).
To introduce vegetation that sequesters carbon, prevents landslides, floods, improves biodiversity (re-vegetation of the area with native species) , provides cleaner air, and enhances soil conditions damaged by environmental degradation (8, p. 3).
To educate and monitor flora and fauna through the construction of observation and education nodes (8, p. 12).
To create a new tourist attraction point (8)
Implementation activities
The project includes the construction and environmental and technical supervision of an 18.2 km linear park, designed to implement climate resilience criteria and solutions (8, p. 12). It will also involve the development of recreational and sports facilities, 21 viewpoints, rest areas, pedestrian and bike circuits, and security infrastructure (1 & 8). Additionally, the project aims to recover existing squares, parks, and public spaces adjacent to the urban corridor (8). Regarding existing green areas, the project plans to halt the environmental degradation of nearby natural areas like the Pura Pura forest, which has been impacted by continuous deforestation and waste dumping (8, p. 9).
A key focus is the prioritization and planting of native vegetation to support urban biodiversity, along with the incorporation of innovative green solutions (8). The project will also include the construction of plant nurseries, irrigation systems, artificial wetlands and ponds, and urban vegetable gardens (8).
Furthermore, monitoring and educational infrastructure will be built to study and educate the public on the flora and fauna of the area (8). The initiative also emphasizes building capacity for future park managers, with a focus on social management and integration, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and action (8).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
- Reducing socio-economic vulnerability to climate impacts (e.g. awareness raising)
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
- Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
- Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
- Capacity building
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore native species
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , Women, People with functional diversities, Indigenous communities
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- National government
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The national government of Bolivia planned and announced the project that will be implemented with the support of the 2 local municipalities, La Paz and El Alto (1 & 11). A public consultation was carried out for stakeholder participation in 22 September 2023 and it was reported that the project had the acceptance of the interest groups (8, p. 18). The project received fundings from the the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), who also prepared reports related to the project and showed the financial and technical documents related to it (3 & 8). The national government also announced the licitation of the project for private companies to overlook and implement the project (12).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(World Health Organisation standard of 10 m2 of green space per inhabitant (8, p. 2). Sustainable Development Goals (8, p. 2). )
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(National Determined Contribution updated for 2021-2030 of Bolivia (8, p. 6). )
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Plan Territorial de Desarrollo Integral para Vivir Bien del Municipio de La Paz 2021-2025 (Land-use Plan for Comprehensive Development for Living Well in the Municipio of La Paz 2021-2025). (8, p. 3).
)
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Support from transitional governance actors
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
- Multilateral funds/international funding
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Loan
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Expected strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Reduced emissions
- Expected reduced emissions
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Improved waste management
- Expected improved waste management
- Improved soil quality
- Expected improved soil quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Expected improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Expected increased protection against flooding
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Expected increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Expected increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Expected increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Expected reduced biodiversity loss
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Expected restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- More sustainable tourism
- Expected more sustainable tourism
- Increased property prices
- Expected increased property prices
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Expected improved social cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Expected improved access to urban green space
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Expected increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Improved physical health
- Expected improved physical health
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Expected increased support for education and scientific research
- Safety
- Improved community safety to climate-related hazards
- Expected improved community safety to climate-related hazards
- Increased perception of safety
- Expected increased perception of safety
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.
Ministerio de Obras Públicas, Servicios y Vivienda (2024). Gobierno nacional inicia la construcción del Parque Lineal Metropolitano – MOPSV. Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia , Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Flores, R. (2024). Comienzan obras del Parque Lineal Metropolitano. La Razón , Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Inter-American Development Bank (2023). BID _ Programa de Integración Urbana_ Parque Lineal para La Paz y El Alto. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Oficina Urbana (n.d.). PARQUE LINEAL METROPOLITANOCORDILLERA DE LOS ANDES. BOLIVIA – Oficina Urbana. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Guimaraes, L. (2023). El Parque Lineal Metropolitano estará listo en 2025 - Construcción LatinoAmericana. Construcción Latinoamericana , Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Sanjinas Ordoñez, M. (2024). El Gobierno autorizó crédito del BID para construir el parque metropolitano que unirá La Paz y El Alto. Boliva.com , Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Inter-American Development Bank (2023 ). BID _ Bolivia impulsa el desarrollo urbano sostenible en La Paz y El Alto con apoyo del BID. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Inter-American Development Bank (2023). Bolivia. Loan Proposal _Urban Integration Program Linear Park for La Paz and El Alto. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Bolivia (2021). El Alto en cifras. p. 2. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Dirección General de Análisis Productivo (2022). Informe productivo del municipio del alto . p. 6. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
11.
ATB Digital (2023). Parque Lineal Metropolitano_ La obra tendrá cinco tramos, con un costo de construcción de casi $us 30 millones - ATB Digital. Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
12.
Viceministerio de Transporte (2024). Gobierno licita por Bs 24.806.806 un nuevo tramo del Parque Lineal Metropolitano – MOPSV. Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia , Accessed on September 12, 2024, [Source link];
Digital simulation of the park
https://oficinaurbana.com.ar/project/parque-lineal-metropolitano-la-paz-el-alto-bolivia/
Metropolitan Park
https://oficinaurbana.com.ar/project/parque-lineal-metropolitano-la-paz-el-alto-bolivia/
Metropolitan Park
https://oficinaurbana.com.ar/project/parque-lineal-metropolitano-la-paz-el-alto-bolivia/
Metropolitan Park
https://oficinaurbana.com.ar/project/parque-lineal-metropolitano-la-paz-el-alto-bolivia/
Metropolitan Park
https://oficinaurbana.com.ar/project/parque-lineal-metropolitano-la-paz-el-alto-bolivia/
Metropolitan Park
https://oficinaurbana.com.ar/project/parque-lineal-metropolitano-la-paz-el-alto-bolivia/
Metropolitan Park
https://oficinaurbana.com.ar/project/parque-lineal-metropolitano-la-paz-el-alto-bolivia/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.