In Barranquilla, Colombia, Urban Parks Revitalize a Declining City

The 'Todos al Parque' program in Barranquilla, Colombia, has transformed 258 public spaces since 2011, focusing on the city's most deprived neighborhoods through a co-design process with residents. By increasing green space from 0.86m² to a level where 93% of households are within an 8-minute walk of a park, the initiative has reduced crime, improved public health, and increased tax compliance. The program's success led to the creation of a regional network of 'biodivercities' involving eight Latin American cities and inspired a similar state-level program in the Atlántico Department.

• The 'Todos al Parque' program, launched in 2011, has renovated or created 258 public spaces, resulting in 93% of Barranquilla households having access to a green public space within an 8-minute walk.
• The program utilized a participatory co-design model where architects and community leaders collaborated with residents to determine specific needs, such as synthetic turf for soccer pitches and expanded children's playgrounds, prioritizing vulnerable groups and underserved areas in the southeast of the city.
• The initiative has generated nearly 1.5 million square meters of green areas, contributing to improved public finances through increased tax compliance in neighborhoods with recovered parks and a reduction in thefts within 100 meters of these spaces.
• The success of the program in Barranquilla led to the 2021 'Declaration of Barranquilla', establishing a network of 'biodivercities' among eight cities in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, and Colombia to promote green infrastructure, with support from the development bank CAF.

APA

Maassen, A. (2022). In Barranquilla, Colombia, Urban Parks Revitalize a Declining City. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/barranquilla-colombia-urban-parks-revitalize-declining-city

Chicago

Maassen, Anne. In Barranquilla, Colombia, Urban Parks Revitalize a Declining City. World Resources Institute, 2022. https://www.wri.org/insights/barranquilla-colombia-urban-parks-revitalize-declining-city.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Maassen |first1=Anne |title=In Barranquilla, Colombia, Urban Parks Revitalize a Declining City |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=7 December 2022 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/barranquilla-colombia-urban-parks-revitalize-declining-city |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{maassen2022barranquilla, author = {Maassen, Anne}, title = {{In Barranquilla, Colombia, Urban Parks Revitalize a Declining City}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2022}, month = dec, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/barranquilla-colombia-urban-parks-revitalize-declining-city}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }