Last updated: September 2024
In Peru, there is a significant gap in the coverage of public spaces for social interaction, environmental awareness, and cultural expression in urban areas, reaching 23.10% (3). To address this issue and commemorate the 200th anniversary of Peru's independence, the national project "Proyecto Especial Bicentenario" (Special Bicentenary Project) was launched. As part of this project, 26 Cultural and Ecological Parks are being developed throughout the country (2, 5). This initiative aims to strengthen the role of municipalities in sustainable urban planning, prioritising the well-being of citizens and promoting citizen participation (1, 3). These parks combine ecological elements with cultural infrastructure, fostering a connection between people and nature and their Peruvian identity (5). By offering recreational and educational spaces, the goal is to raise public awareness of the importance of local biodiversity and strengthen community ties (1, 5). To ensure that these spaces meet the needs of each community, a citizen participation campaign called "Ideas for My Bicentennial Cultural Park" was implemented, allowing citizens to propose ideas from various perspectives, such as design, culture, citizenship, and the environment (5). The San Isidro Bicentennial Park, inaugurated in 2020, is an example of this initiative. With its 20,000 square meters of green areas, cultural activities, family recreation zones, and a neighbourhood gathering centre, this park has become a new green lung for the city and a meeting place for people of all ages, with a focus on inclusion for children and the elderly (2, 4, 5). Additionally, it features a municipal community garden of 250 m2 that promotes urban agriculture and offers workshops to teach citizens about sustainable farming practices (6).
Photo of the park from above
Experiencias Perú
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Improving mental health
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Inclusive governance
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable production
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Disconnection from nature
- Loss of sense of place and identity
- Social fragmentation and isolation
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests, Creation of areas for food production (community gardens, allotments), Improved governance of green or blue areas, Establishment of inclusive governance mechanisms involving local communities
Project objectives
Following the Organic Law of Municipalities, the following goals are established (1):
- Promote spaces for participation, education, and recreation for the elderly
- Regulate, coordinate, and promote sports and recreation permanently for children, youth, and citizens
- Promote the consolidation of a culture of democratic citizenship and strengthen the cultural identity
- Implement a decentralized, participatory, and inclusive action plan to position the commemoration of Peru's independence
- Develop cultural activities to revitalize cultural expressions and strengthen national identity
- Satisfy the community and strengthen family ties
- Promote recreation to support emotional stability and allow for rest, relaxation, and recreational activities
Other objectives:
- Balance the lack of quality of life in cities by offering opportunities for inhabitants to develop their individual and collective capacities and participate in community life (2)
- Raise awareness about improving the environment and well-being of residents (3)
- Promote the practice of urban agriculture (5)
- Promote inclusion and cultural, social, ecological, educational, and recreational exchange (3, 4)
Implementation activities
The land on which the park is currently located was used for decades as a municipal warehouse and storage area. With the development of this project, these areas were recovered for the enjoyment and recreation of the residents (3).
Cultural spaces and infrastructure have been opened (5), as well as playgrounds for children, cycle paths, cycle parking, meeting areas, and a bio-garden that allows education in urban agriculture focusing on children and adults (7).
Likewise, spaces for citizen participation are promoted through the citizen contribution campaign called ‘Ideas for my Bicentennial Cultural Park’, seeking to nurture the project with the concerns and proposals of citizens from four approaches: Design, culture, citizenship and environment (5).
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
- Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , Elderly people
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Municipality of San Isidro: the body in charge of the implementation and providing cultural and recreational services in the park (1)
Department of Education, Culture and Tourism, Department of Sustainable Environmental Development, Department of Administration and Finance, Department of Urban Development and Road Safety, Department of Urban Planning and Cadastre, Department of Assets and General Services and Department of Legal Advice: project reviewers (1)
Department of Education, Culture and Tourism: department responsible for the development of the activities related to Peruvian identity and the commemoration of the Bicentenary (1)
Presidencia del Consejo de Ministros: promoters of the Bicentenary Special Project, in charge of the creation of the Bicentenary Cultural Parks (5)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Ley Orgánica de Municipalidades (Organic Law of Municipalities), which establishes the responsibility of each municipality to provide local public services for the integral, sustainable and harmonious development of its district (1). )
Type of enablers
Capacity-building projects, City network or regional partnerships focused on climate change, sustainability, GI or NBS in the city
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
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
Economic impacts
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Achieved increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Attraction of business and investment
- Expected attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food
- Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Achieved increased sustainability of agriculture practices
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief
- Expected enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
- Expected increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
No
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
San Isidro Municipality (2020). Acuerdo del Consejo N032 - 2020 - MSI. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Aliaga, M., Picón, J. (2023). Parques Culturales Bicentenario: Legado con inclusión social. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Experiencias Perú (n.d.). Parque Bicentenario - San Isidro. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
4.
El Peruano (2020). Desde mañana se podrá acceder al parque Bicentenario en San Isidro. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Peruvian Government (2020). Anuncian 26 Parques Culturales Bicentenario para conmemorar los 200 años de la Independencia. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Peruvian Government (n.d.). Visita el Biohuerto Municipal de San Isidro. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
7.
San Isidro's Municipality (2022). Compendio Estadístico 2022. . Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (2020). Planos estratificados de Lima Metropolitana a Nivel de Manzanas 2020. Accessed on August 21, 2024, [Source link];
Bikeline in the Park Bicentenario - San Isidro
El Peurano
View of a garden in the shape of the Peruvian coat of arms.
Experiencias Perú
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.