Lima

Recovering Lima’s Public Spaces for Community Use

CitiesLimaRecovering Lima's Public Spaces for Community Use

Bloomberg Associates and its Urban Planning Team worked with the Municipality of Lima to identify, reclaim and refurbish public spaces as safe areas for meeting, leisure and recreation.

The public space was being misused. Before the intervention, the pedestrian platform that is now a garden used to be a garage. The street was a public toilet. I am very grateful to the mayor because he has done what I have never seen in 52 years of my life.

Zaida Herrera, lifelong Lima resident

Relevant Expertise

Improve Public Space and Neighborhoods

Parks Maintenance and Beautification

Challenge

Numerous parks throughout the Municipality of Lima were identified by both community members and officials as abandoned, deteriorating, or improperly utilized, and a lack of safe and accessible public spaces has direct effects on the ability of citizens to interact, generate community and be an active part of their neighborhoods.

In conjunction with the celebration of 200 years of its independence, the Municipality of Lima made a commitment to restore and rejuvenate these public spaces for all citizens to feel safe in and enjoy. Bloomberg Associates was asked to help the Municipality audit and assess the public spaces that were available for intervention, as well as make recommendations for the redesign of these spaces.

Approach

Bloomberg Associates worked directly with the Municipality of Lima to survey and determine which sites should be prioritized based on factors including feasibility for intervention, social and physical vulnerability, active or growing citizen concern, and potential as a catalyst for change.

Once specific sites were identified, collaboration with neighbors and municipal teams helped to generate proposals for new designs, refurbishments and adjustments, as well as the funding and scheduling necessary to complete them.

With plans in hand, BA helped to coordinate and schedule municipal services and encourage community participation. From minor adjustments like adding benches or swings to total renovations and major repairs, the efforts to raise awareness, support, and funding were unique to each location.

Impact

The reclamation and restoration of park spaces in Lima resulted in more than aesthetic improvements and safe places for children to play; the initiative also reignited civic pride, engagement, and enthusiasm in neighborhoods throughout the city.

Community members were inspired to commit their own resources, ideas, and materials to supplement the work done by the Municipality, bringing added value to the sites and strengthening their personal connections to residents of all ages.