Last updated: May 2025
Lima is the capital of the region with the lowest coverage of green spaces. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a city should have at least 9m2 of green space per inhabitant. Lima is just over 3m2 square metres, which means a deficit of almost 60 million square metres. In this context, actions from the public and private sectors are essential to add this type of space to the city. In response to this need, Grupo Centenario carried out a green project on one of its plots of land in San Isidro, where real estate projects will be developed (1, 2, 3, 4). A square was built with a green area with wild and low-consumption species, knocking down the walls that surrounded the land for years, turning it into a place for everyone to see and use (1, 2, 3, 4). The Choquehuanca Square was built to contribute to the community and make it a better place to live. It is located on a plot of land that was previously enclosed by walls, converting it into an area of 3,945 m2 with a green space that occupies 70% of the square (1, 2, 3). This is a temporary project, as the green space was opened while projects are being developed on this land (1, 2, 3).
Top view of Choquehuaca Square/Park. Located in the left down corner of the plot
Apoyo Comunicación
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Real estate development
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
Key priorities
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces
Project objectives
- Contribute to the improvement of the neighbourhood environment (1, 2, 3)
- Increase green space area by planting several plants (approximately 20,000) and grass (4).
- Improve pollination potential in the area (4)
- Foster urban sustainability (1, 2, 3)
- Build an open space for community enjoyment (1, 2, 3)
- Promote spaces for recreation and relaxation (4)
- Create sustainable green spaces (4)
Implementation activities
The project had two phases of intervention: the implementation of landscaping and the implementation of an automated irrigation system (4). For the landscaping area, it was requested that the green areas to be implemented should be composed of American grass and corridors of two varieties of Penninsetum setaceum, so that the area could be uniform and with conventional management, and the population that passes near it could use the space as a recreational or rest area (4). Likewise, varied vegetation was used to provide greater colour and diversity of textures, low water consumption and reduced maintenance, they built a pollinator garden, that could serve as shelter, food and/or rest for the pollinating or beneficial fauna present in the urban ecosystem (4). In addition, the plants were grouped in clumps with various combinations according to the development of their average height and growth rate, and a design of rocky components was made to generate the sensation of a more natural landscape when integration with the flora provided was achieved (4).
Approximately 20,000 plants and 600 m2 of American grass were used for the project (4).
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Inmobiliaria San Silvestre S.A.C. (part of the Centenario Group), owner of the land, initiator and investor of the project (1, 2, 3).
Developed the project in coordination with the company BROTES VERDES PERU S.A.C., supplier in charge of the implementation of the landscaping and automated irrigation system, together with the supplier DSE Dechini S.A.C., in charge of the civil part of the project (4).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Type of enablers
Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS
Financing
Total cost
€10,000 - €50,000
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
- Enhanced support of pollination
- Achieved enhanced support of pollination
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Achieved restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected 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.
Centenario Oficinas (n.d.). Plaza Choquehuanca: Una nueva área verde que potencia nuestra ciudad. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Eguiluz, O. (2023). Plaza Choquehuanca: de espacio amurallado a un área verde. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Bárcena, G. (2023). Plaza Choquehuanca, el terreno que será un parque verde hasta iniciar construcciones sostenibles. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Ochoa Balboa, L. (2023). IMPLEMENTACIÓN Y DESARROLLO DE JARDINES POLINIZADORES EN EL DISTRITO DE SAN ISIDRO, LIMA”. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
5.
San Isidro Municipality (2020). COMPENDIO ESTADÍSTICO 2020. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (2020). Planos Estratificados de Lima Metropolitana a Nivel de Manzana 2020. Accessed on September 10, 2024, [Source link];
Plaza Choquehuaca
Centenario Oficinas
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.